The battle was long concluded, the flames were still there, and the casualties of the staggering skirmish lay on the road. Some of the buildings were ravaged, and the walls of Rindsow were extremely worn, chipped and burned by the demons who ambushed the village. Both of Rindsow's citizens and the demons, both great and small, lay lifeless– the blood stained the terrains of the village. Tenebrosia dusted herself off, still grappling with the image of the faded tattoo on the enigmatic woman's chin. The cathedral doors opened, and the citizens of Rindsow finally stepped away from the shelter of the building. The statue of Muya-Haweh was fragmented into segments, and the ornamental vegetation that adorned the city was scarred: some survived the assault, and some were burned and ruined. The citizens ignored Tenebrosia and rushed to their loved ones, lamenting the deaths of their friends and family, who had protected Rindsow, bolstering the village's defenses so it might see another day.
Sekai ran to Tenebrosia, who had seen how she fought in the battle. However, he was both terrified of the battle and sought comfort from his guardian. Amma rumbled softly behind them, nudging his woolly trunk at Sekai's back; an effort to try and console the Padomas boy. Many of those in the militia covered those who've fallen in battle with a white sheet, recording the names of those who've lost in preparation for burying them in the village's graveyard beside the cathedral. "Embrace them with your radiance, oh, my mighty, brilliant Sovereign… greet them at the gates of heaven when they rest well within your hands…" the priest prayed upon the fallen, bowing himself and holding his staff in solace.
Sekai was silent, but Amma lifted the boy to sit on its right tusk, letting the boy find comfort by embracing its mass. Tenebrosia, however, had a hand on her hip as she observed the flames where the figure left off. This observation was quickly interrupted when an approaching ache in her head struck her mind.
–
"Run!" Tenbrosia, who was now eleven, yelled for the other boys and girls who were raised along with her as the burning house of the Maidens that lay near the crescent of the waterfall was in ruins. The flame's maws consumed the house, and the building burned down into ashes.
However, there was a mysterious silhouette of a feminine figure seen within the foyer of the house, not reacting to the burning feeling of the fire that consumed her. She held a mask; her face was a blur of black, but she snapped her gaze to a terrified Tenebrosia. The figure's eyes glowed only white, while her entire figure was draped in darkness– a contrast to the fire around. Nevertheless, the view was blocked by a falling pole as the house continued to burn.
–
… Tenebrosia held the sides of her glasses before shaking her head as she quickly finished a blurred memory at the crevices of her mind. The woman? Who was she? Tenebrosia asked herself again. A human lady came rushing at the Maiden, her boots tapped the ground while she was huffing, and trying to intake some of the fiery air. She was obviously younger, just below thirty. She had yellow-glistening hair and was wearing worn armor. Her face was slightly bloodied, and her hair a mess despite being in a braid. She took another inhale before exhaling as she held a prodigious and complex gun. "Thank you," she said, her breath slowly sustaining itself despite her huffs and puffs. "We would've had many more casualties if it were not for you," the shorter woman's breath finally kept up with the presence. The lady forgot to introduce herself to the taller Tenebrosia, who had her tilted to one side and her arms crossed, intrigued by the woman's clumsiness. "My name is Margarie," she said, one of her hands touching her chest as the other continued to hold the gun. "I'm one of the chiefs of the village's militia," Margarie composed herself, wiping off blood and sweat from her forehead.
"How can you–" Margarie was about to ask how Tenebrosia held her own against such a powerful masked enchantress minutes ago, when the former noticed the crescent of the Maiden's medallion attached to her chest: the symbol of the Maidens. "Cat got your tongue?" Tenebrosia put her hands on her hips, already knowing Margarie had her gaze attached to her prized emblem clipped to her vest. "You're a–" Margarie was interrupted by Tenebrosia, her tone laced with sarcasm. "If this were another revelation to you cretins realizing the Maidens are more than witches, I suppose you–" "No, that's not what I meant!" stuttered Margarie, her face flustered and her voice trembling with fear, but still, gratefulness from the tall woman standing so confidently in front of her. "Either way, we are grateful that you protected this settlement… this wasn't the first time demons tried to assault us– but the previous skirmishes weren't as serious, let alone cause casualties," Margarie spoke, her hands still gripping the gun as she looked around the destruction caused by the sudden ambush of the attack earlier.
"Not the first time?" Tenebrosia asked; this piqued the Maiden's interests, perhaps even concerns. If this wasn't the first time, how long have these demons been invading the inner parts of the region? "Yes," affirmed Margarie, "they've been appearing here for weeks on end. Even before that, there were already lesser demons invading the village once in a while… although they just tend to observe and leave." Tenebrosia's ears weren't hearing that right, weeks now? "But that is impossible," refuted the Maiden, "the inner parts of the region are laced with lumen magic, preventing any hostile demons like that from appearing near the inner lands of Galamona." Margarie shook her head, seemingly not knowing what Tenebrosia was saying. "I haven't got a clue what's happening… with this many deceased, I don't think we can survive another assault." Margarie looked at the priest and the people around them: most were gathering their remaining belongings; however, those who had lost close to them in the fight were mourning their deaths. Amma and Sekai were watching from the side, observing the somber rituals the priest was doing, praying for their gentle passing to the gates of Elysium.
Stomps were heard behind the two, and Margarie looked back, but before she could speak up, the mayor himself, stomping, interrupted. "What is all this nonsense?!" he declared. The mayor, who was old, looked rotund and had a great, gray mustache. His hair was short and styled, he wore a top hat, and a vest for the cold. He, too, was slightly bloodied, and his arms had traces of plant magic; a manipulator of the Exuberance Decree, Tenebrosia thought. Seems like the mayor fought alongside the militia. "Father–" Margarie tried to speak, but the mayor spoke again, interrupting her thought. The mayor, who noticed the crescent on Tenebrosia's medallion, charged forward with powerful steps as he pointed an accusing finger at the taller Maiden. Amma and Sekai noticed this and began walking faster at the man in response to his threat at Tenebrosia. "You witch! You led those demons and that masked thug here, didn't you?!" The mayor was angry, and Tenebrosia only looked at him with amusement. "You'll face justice by my power striking you, now!" He yelled, and Tenebrosia only fixed her glasses. But he was stopped by Margarie. "Father!" The young lady slapped his hand away, who was about to fire a blast at Tenebrosia, who continued to stand there without retorting– "Margarie–" the mayor was interrupted by his daughter, and Amma and Sekai stopped at their tracks. The townsfolk also halted with a gasp; they were all watching ever since the beginning of the mayor's quarrel.
There was a pause, and Tenebrosia only observed with a fascinated expression of the whole ordeal. "Would it make sense for this lady to lead the horde to the village, then proceed to massacre her own allies? If she were truly for them and not for us, would she have destroyed us by now?" The mayor– her father– stopped, and seeing sense, stopped his planned assault. He sighed and looked at Tenebrosia. "I apologize," he exclaimed, "the battle must've pushed me to the edge quite a bit." The mayor looked back at Margarie, "My dear, do help the others," he instructed. Margarie nodded before rushing at the townsfolk, trying to console them of their fatigue from the battle, offering sympathy to those who had lost their loved ones, and helping give a proper rest to the deceased. She even spoke to Ramzu, who was assisting the locals in clearing the massive debris of the village's remnants. The two seem close.
"Once again, I apologize for my sudden prejudice against you. You're not locals here as far as I can tell; nevertheless, your magic is the strongest we've seen around for the first time." The mayor spoke, wiping sweat from his face as he and Tenebrosia looked at the recovering chaos around them. "I'm Amorani," he tipped his top hat in respect at Tenebrosia before putting it back on. "Those demonic bastards have been on our tail for a while now, s'pose we do something about it." Amorani looked at the ruined state of the village, wiping the blood off his face with a napkin stored within his pocket. After the mayor's napkin was rid of the velvet running down the side of his head, staining the white cloth with red, Tenebrosia turned her attention to the locals recovering from the impact of the assault. She noticed Amma and Sekai were helping all they could: Sekai helped Margarie clean debris with brooms, sweeping the cobblestone streets of dust, demon fragments, and what pebbles they could sweep. Amma, on the other hand, helped the locals carry the dead on carts to be buried in the cathedral's churchyard, a proper cemetery for those who have lost in battle.
The mayor sighed and looked back at Tenebrosia, who was still looking at the village repairing itself from the skirmish. "I am well aware that most of the folks in the village are not welcoming to your kind. But no matter, you extricated us from a gargantuan amount of tribulation. Without you, we'd be wiped." "The pleasure is mine," Tenebrosia replied, who looked back at Amorani and fixed her glasses. Her tone was confident as usual and was dripping with pride. "Rindsow is in shambles… I've heard what Margarie said. We need to migrate." Tenebrosia nodded and walked past him with grace, observing the wreckage behind him, and Amorani followed her as they traversed the destroyed parts of Rindsow. "Windstrew would be your safest place to seek refuge for the moment," Amorani only let out a simple huff in agreement, using his cane to help his struggling movement from both age and injury.
"The municipal status of Rindsow will make it convenient for the proceedings, and seeing the status of the village…" The mayor sighed again, seeing the heavily dismantled settlement in devastation. "We'd be leaving this all behind until it gets safer." Amorani and Tenebrosia observed Rindsow's folks, already stowing their remaining belongings from the disastrous conflict. "The lumen magic that protected the region is being forcefully torn open, you see." This caused Tenebrosia to halt at her steps and look back at the shorter, elderly man. "Those were one of the many hypotheses I had," Tenebrosia said. The idea of the protective force surrounding the region being sundered was already at the back of her mind, but the lumen magic itself was amplified by the beating source of Windstrew's pumps of strong magic in credit of the powerful technology of the metropolis. Such a feat would require the capacity to overpower a country-encompassing amount of dark magic to do so. "How did you know?" Tenebrosia asked, interested in the mayor's words. "The militia's scouts, along with our local merchants, sent reports and photographs from the southern parts of the region during a journey for trade. On their way back, apparently, a rift suddenly appeared that made way for demons to pierce through the veil. Lesser demons were all they've seen–" "Did they bear the mark of the Maidens at their backs?" Tenebrosia interrupted the man, and her face became extremely serious. "No, I suppose not. The photographs and the observation we've got displayed none. They're wild demons, from what I've heard. They don't bear the mark of your clan without being in a contract. Summons perhaps? But they turned against you. I must've reacted with fear when I first accused you." "This is far more dangerous than I thought," Tenebrosia replied, becoming more solemn with the entire circumstances of the situation.
"What're you saying?" Amorani asked with both fear and curiosity. "Don't mind that, you must hurry for refuge." Tenebrosia looked at him with both seriousness, yet her face was composed. Amorani, dismissing the fear and desiring to reduce the pressure building within his mind, as there was already a strain from the burden of ensuring his townsfolk's safety. As the mayor looked again, Rindsow's inhabitants were already concluding the immediate recovery of the village. The moon was still in the heavens, and the hours turned past midnight. The mayor walked to the clumped citizens of Rindsow, who were waiting for the mayor's instructions. He opened his mouth and began addressing the issues properly, and instructed that they were seeking shelter at Windstrew. Tenebrosia, overhearing the entire speech, Mayor Amorani gave to his citizens. The Maiden, however, ignored it and continued to observe the still-rubbled village. The flames were absent already, and the street was wet from the water manipulated by the local mages. Tenebrosia leaned on a barely working lamp post and closed her eyes, listening to what the mayor was saying– though she wasn't trying to remember what Amorani was saying. "...All thanks to the Maiden right here." Those words of the mayor's led Tenebrosia to open her eyes slowly, fixing her glasses as she stood up properly from her leaning position. She already anticipated the distrust, but considering Rindsow's folks didn't intervene with her conversation with their mayor earlier, Tenebrosia knew it was going to be applause stemming from gratefulness, or at least thankful she saved them from a lot.
The townsfolk began muttering and then gave a round of applause shortly after. Slowly, and slowly, the quiet, reluctant claps became louder. Despite being devotees of Muya-Haweh, they are only relieved that their savior, despite a contrasting, unconventional grace, became the town's heroine. "Oh, thank the Light you came past our village!" "If it were not for you, we'd be wiped!" "Sovereign led you here with His stars!" Tenebrosia, amused by their cries, thanked a god she did not even believe in, adding to the irony that she was from a clan that praises a being villainous to the perspective of the followers of light. No matter how much she wanted to mock their thanks to their god instead of thanking her, Tenebrosia shrugged and kept her own thoughts to herself, prioritizing diplomacy over personal amusement. Sekai and Amma looked at each other in confusion. The beast and the boy also just shrugged it off.
…
After a while, the survivors of Rindsow were already preparing for their departure to Windstrew, fully abandoning their wrecked settlement. Ramzu, on the other hand, stayed behind to converse with Tenebrosia. Behind them was Sekai setting up the contraption that cradled on Amma's torso to pull the carriage. "I've overheard what the mayor told you. Are you sure you're going to keep the boy? It's dangerous for such a lad to keep going." The Paragos, still holding his flamethrower, spoke. "The little one had made his mind. He's clearly coming with me. He's a despicable one, too. Even if I were to force him to go, he'd still follow me like a pup," the tall Maiden replied, and there was a pause. Then, she spoke again. "Besides, you do see potential within him, right? I'd protect him, so don't get your head on a swivel about it." Tenebrosia continued, utterly confident in her skills as a champion of the Maiden. "I suppose you're right, just…" Ramzu halted from his words and exhaled, clearly worried, but had confidence in Tenebrosia's power, "Don't be stupid." He laughed jovially, and Tenebrosia snickered in this witty banner. "I never am." As the two ended their laugh of jubilee, the Maiden ought to ask: "What about you? Leaving your tavern, your richees– gone in a night?" Ramzu thought for a moment, and Tenebrosia already got the hint that he didn't seem to be so saddened about his ruined business. "I'd fund another one. Most of my coin sachets are safe with me. And all my workers are still alive, and are loyal to the Rightrestle Loo business. We could set up shop again sooner, you'll see." He laughed. Tenebrosia only nodded.
"Anyways, I'd leave you to it. Make sure the world stays away from going to shit, ya hear?!" The Paragos jovially laughed again as he began walking with him and his found family of workers to follow the already departing townsfolk of Rindsow. Sekai waved goodbye, his adorable voice echoing as he stood beside Tenebrosia, with Amma slowly following, standing beside Sekai. The moon began to descend into the late sky. It was the start of dawn.
…
The carriage continued up north to the Moirai Summits once again. She knew the way, as most of Galamona's city does, but none dared to even ascend it, nor even come close to the tundra forests located at the foot of the glacial peaks. Tenebrosia gave it a thought, most likely because the north was harsh and harbored creatures extremely dangerous, unique in the tundras that dared not explore the warmer regions of Galamona. The wheels rumbled softly, and Tenebrosia was sitting with one leg over the other on the "coachman's sit" while Sekai slept comfortably at the settee. The sun began to rise, and Tenebrosia continued to ponder. Amma dragged the bogie through the dirt road through the hinterlands; it looked like it wasn't fatigued from the war that transpired hours prior. Neither was Tenebrosia. However, Tenebrosia's pondering began thumping more and more, and images flashed back into her mind. A fragment of time– memory, revealing itself through her.
…
"My dear, you're exceptional." Ragena bent down to the level of a young Tenebrosia, her tone excited and proud. It's been a year since the latter was under the wing of the Maidens. Ragena tidied Tenebrosia's new attire: puffed white, lantern sleeves, and black, billowy trousers. A golden pendant of a rose hung on the left side of Tenebrosia's belt, a gift of Ragena to the girl. "You, amongst all the others," the mature Ragena paused as she placed a purple-hued dahlia on Tenebrosia's right ear, "are special, little one."
Ragena stood up, and the breeze from the outside surrounded them in the grassy field. "Tenebrosia, you'll be declared as my heir for my championship. Though not so ceremoniously grand, this is indeed official," Ragena laughed as she walked with a younger Tenebrosia, composed yet proud despite her smaller frame, to a bumped hill where the other children and the Maidens were waiting at the bottom of the mound. Taralon, however, observed from afar, standing with her hands on her back.
"My sisters," Ragena announced, looking at her Maiden-sisters, a pause, then at the children and the older ones experiencing adolescence, "and little ones," earning a laugh from both Maidens and the kiddiewinks, except Taralon, who was still at the very back. "As Elder of our cohort, this young lady, Tenebrosia Writos, far surpassed my expectations, as well as yours, my comrades." There was a pause, and Ragena saw a glimpse of Tenebrosia standing in an adorable, confident stance. Ragena spoke again, breaking the void of silence. "She would be the heir to my title as champion, as I yield this name for being Elder as per our custom. Once I ascend to the seat of Director of the Sombre Arts, Tenebrosia would be our hope for us to come back to glory. For Tenebrosia!" Ragena raised a fist into the air with a laugh of jubilation, and the eight other Maidens clapped, but the children's cheers were louder. But at last, Taralon remained silent, but Tenebrosia caught a seemingly malicious gaze from her.
…
When Tenebrosia opened her eyes, she found herself a great distance away from Rindsow. The Maiden also looked down; the carriage was slightly lowered, and the hardwood rods riveted together were silenced by no movement. This is because the Mayuno, Amma, rested, the fatigue of the battle lying on him. Tenebrosia tidied her glasses, and the sun was well-placed at noon. Sekai was also beginning to wake up, as the Maiden heard the soft rumblings of the settee and the murmur of the Padomas boy.
"Where are we?" questioned the still-waking boy, rubbing his eyes as he removed the blanket on top of him. Before he could speak further, Tenebrosia opened her mouth and told him, "Before you get your first meal of the day, you'd have to train." Sekai jumped, confused. "But don't trainings usually start after you get your meal?" The boy's protest was interrupted by Tenebrosia. "You are my apprentice, are you not? And I am your pedagogue. I know what I'm doing, so you'd better follow." Tenebrosia bent down as her extremely tall height was too soaring for the small bogie as she exited the door. Sekai excitedly giggled– running around the small confines of the interior of the carriage before exiting too.
The boy's tail wavered, and his ears twitched as he descended the steps of the carriage's small set of stairs, and his new shoes hit the grass below. The scenery was magnificent; an empty grassy field secluded away from wandering villagers and any settlement, so any practice of the Sombre wouldn't be regarded as demonic for such a child or labeled simply as "dark magic." The trees swayed in the wind, and birds flew up into the sky. Tenebrosia waited at the center of the open space before squatting down at the same level as Sekai's height. "First lesson, agility and be quick on your feet." Tenebrosia lifted her index finger right in front of Sekai's eyes. "But, miss! I know how to smuggle goods and all! I even smuggled Amma without getting caught! I want to learn about your magic!" the boy eagerly protested, huffing his face. "Not everything is about stealing or how sneaky you are, little one. What happens if you're in the middle of combat? Would your conniving, clandestine tactics work? Hm?" The mature woman questioned with a smirk, and silence fell on Sekai's mouth. Tenebrosia stood again. "Stand here, for our first practice is how well you can react, and how well you retaliate."
The woman walked at a considerable distance from the boy, having to finally idly lean under a giant oak tree and summon spectrals around her. Unharming to the boy, but they are physical to the touch. "Let's see how fast you can anticipate attacks first," Tenebrosia threw one spectral without moving, her arms tucked between. The spectral moved at incredible speeds, and the spectral moved slower than the wind but fast enough to keep the boy's toes on alert. Sekai's eyes widened in shock and fear, but barely, yet also clumsily, avoided it. The Padomas boy tumbled to the ground, earning a sarcastic scoff from the Maiden. For a Padomas, he surely is far less agile than his kin… perhaps he wasn't really taught to unlock his truest of nature, thought the woman. "Focus on precision rather than merely avoiding it. Do not fear getting hit; risk it." Tenebrosia ordered, but Sekai protested. "Wouldn't that hurt me?!" he yelped, breathing heavily. This earned a chuckle from the woman, "Don't worry, little one. The spectrals won't harm you. They didn't hurt you when I covered your eyes back then, didn't they?" Tenebrosia declared, and silence once again filled the boy's mouth before nodding fiercely. He stood up, preparing himself for the next attack. Sekai took a deep breath, and Tenebrosia prepared herself to hurl spectrals.
Without warning, Tenebrosia fired one. However, Sekai was concentrated enough to dodge the speeding spectral. Another one, then another one, and another. One by one, the Padomas boy began to avoid every spectral that went his way in different methods: diving, rolling, jumping– all with precision. Tenebrosia was impressed; the boy was beginning to be a quick learner, just like her when she was young under the care of Ragena and the other Maidens.
"That's enough," Tenebrosia spoke. "Grab that stick over," she nudged her head in the direction of a stick lying beneath a tree just behind Sekai. "You'd be hitting these next, and they'd be faster this time. Combat to the Maidens is as fluid as dance, and you must be as fluid as how darkness molds itself amongst the crevices of the world." Sekai nodded, grabbed the stick with its size essentially a staff to him, and anticipated any attack coming his way. With no indication, Tenebrosia fired two spectrals, twice the speed compared to earlier, to rush at the Padomas boy. Having learned his errors earlier, he was better, yet still flawed. He managed to hit one spectral, yet the other went through him. Sekai's movement that managed to hit the other spectral was clumsy and earned a half-amused raise of an eyebrow from his mentor, who stood a couple of meters away. "Again," Tenebrosia declared. And soon, the boy honed his skills with further rigorous training.
…
An hour and a half has passed, and Tenebrosia saw the boy's tired and sweaty expression. She lifted her palm and spoke, "That is enough for today. Not bad for someone new to the arts," Tenebrosia snickered before walking near the boy. "There is a lake of fresh water beyond the trees nearby. Go bathe yourself, I'd make you a suitable meal to start your day." The Maiden smirked as she tidied her glasses. "Is it safe?" The boy nervously asked. Tenebrosia tucked her arms as she had one side of her hips raised, and kicked Sekai's earlier staff to him, which the boy caught with both of his hands. "Wolves are your only worries. You can fend them off with your training and Padomas instincts. Make use of what I taught you." Tenebrosia's hair swayed, "Go on, now. You'd expect a meal by the time you get here."
The boy initially walked nervously, yet walked confidently and assuredly once he was a couple of steps in. His staff in hand, Sekai walked beyond the trees. However, before he could, Tenebrosia was already gone inside the small carriage with obvious steam erupting from the small chimney in the back of the bogie. However, Amma was already awake, and the gentle beast looked at him with its brown eyes and nodded slowly before resting once more.
…
Sekai arrived at the river and began to bathe. His staff was left in the dry, loamy, grassy soil as he washed himself up in the cold yet refreshing lake. After putting his clothes back on, the sounds of rushing steps– wolves– began to thump their way on his front; the view being a large mass of forest. Sekai immediately grabbed his staff to prepare for battle, and once the creatures showed themselves, the wolves simply ignored him and ran west. However, heavy steps that rumbled nearby pebbles were heard. A beastly groan was then heard, causing Sekai to quickly back away. The trees were shaken and torn apart, and the source of the noises showed itself: a Bogg'Garok.
…
—
SUZANA'S BIOLOGY BOOK
[Bogg'Garok]
Yikes! A fearsome, pale-white (but sometimes gray!) beast native to the glacial tundras of the north, this predator is found in the Graupelwind Plains– just east below the Moirai Summits. Standing at a length of seventeen meters, this great beast with a stocky body, canine features, quadpedal, claws, and circular-shaped ears, holds immense physical capabilities! With its weight alone comparable to that of four carriages stacked, or slightly heavier than an elderly Mayuno!
The Bogg'Garok only migrates when food is scarce; however, its optimal meals of vegetation and prey only appear in tundras. They are also the rivals of a special type of species of Mayuno in the same area, often battling for abundant patches of tundra vegetation.
Note: Its eyes will turn red when enraged, and it can spit ice-cold saliva at you! This is because it has a gland near its esophagus to incapacitate large fish and other prey from slipping away from its sharp jaws.
—
…
The gigantic Bogg'Garok growled and roared at the boy. The beast stood up and clawed through more trees that blocked its path. The goliath finally had clear sight of Sekai; the Padomas boy's ears lowered as well as his tail as he continued to back up, still holding his staff. The Bogg'Garok lowered itself, its front paws slamming the lake's gentle water, causing a massive splash everywhere. The beast growled as it prepared itself to rush at Sekai, and so it did.
However, before it could, the Bogg-Garok was stopped as Amma came rushing in through the forest, accompanied by its own trumpet-like sound from its trunk, and rammed the canine-like beast with its tusks, piercing its side. Blood gushed out, and the beast roared in pain. It tried to swing its heavy claws at the Mayuno, but the latter slammed it again with its tusk and barely evaded, as Amma earned a slight scratch at its side, enough to tear fur, but not enough for blood to spill.
"Amma!" yelled Sekai, and Amma looked at the boy. The beast nudged its head, as if instructing the boy to hop on its back, and so Sekai did. The child hopped on the Mayuno's furry back while wielding his staff as the two faced off against the Bogg'Garok. The snowy beast roared and charged, and so did Amma, before the two jumped against one another. Sekai roared and jumped as well, his height amplified by the velocity of Amma's own leap. The Mayuno struggled against the Bogg'Garok, with the latter grabbing onto the former's tusks. Amma managed to strangle the Bogg'Garok with its trunk as it released huffs.
Sekai landed on the beast's back; however, the Bogg'Garok managed to hit Amma with such great force on its side that Amma tumbled a few meters across the shallow waters of the lake, causing it to release a trumpet-like sound from pain. Seeing the scene of his animal friend being hurt caused Sekai to be angered. "You… beast!" Sekai rushed at the Bogg'Garok's eyes as he jumped across its pale-furred back, with the giant trying to reach him with both paws and maw. Sekai managed to stab its right eye as blood spilled.
A roar of pain erupted from the beast's mouth as Sekai was clumsily dropped along with his staff to the lake below. The Padomas boy wasn't hurt, but he was guilty of causing pain to the beast. Sekai saw Amma, beginning to recover, yet slowly. The boy was relieved; however, this moment of peace was cut short when the Bogg'Garok turned its back to face the still-sitting Sekai. Its eyes visibly glowed red, and it was snarling with its teeth out. The beast then spat out its ice-cold saliva, but Sekai managed to avoid it due to his recent practice with the Maiden. Another spit, then another, then Sekai managed to dodge all of them. But the boy ended up trapped in the mercy of the beast when he finally reached Amma's position, who was still slowly recovering. Amma weakly stood up, and the two faced the beast. They were at its mercy….
Suddenly, the voice of Tenebrosia spoke behind them. "Do I always have to be the one to babysit you two?" The Maiden jumped up high in the air before rapidly descending in front of the Bogg'Garok with Amma and Sekai behind her. The Bogg'Garok, its right eye still bleeding and gushing, halted for but a second before snarling and spitting its ice-cold saliva at her, which Tenebrosia didn't avoid lest she wanted to harm Sekai and their Mayuno, Amma. The saliva didn't do anything, and Tenebrosia continued to stand there as if nothing had happened, despite her right shoulder being covered by saliva that had the same temperature as the glacial lands of the tundra itself. The Maiden scuffed and wiped off the salivary contents on her upper torso. "My, you've ruined my outfit. Naughty, naughty! Now, you ought to learn a lesson!" The Bogg'Garok only roared before lifting its paws and intending to slam Tenebrosia; however, the Maiden effortlessly caught this with only one of her hands.
There was a pause, then Tenebrosia fixed her glasses with her free hand before using both of her hands to ram the bear with her own body into the shallow lake. The Bogg'Garok roared, as it was no match for the Maiden. Tenebrosia used both of her hands to lift the beast and began to slam it up and down, and finally, hurling it into a circular motion before letting it go to a nearby hill, where it finally crashed and lay dead.
The Maiden caught one of the Bogg'Garok's claws; a prized jewel for any merchant willing to buy it, a hefty bounty for such a rare item. "This would sell," Tenebrosia muttered as she effortlessly held the nail that was larger than her entire head. The woman heard splashing noises behind her, and Sekai hugged her lower leg with Amma's gentle yet heavy steps coming next; the splash being heavier than that of Sekai's. "The monster's gone, don't fret."
…
The sun was still up, and the three were back at their temporary camp. Tenebrosia tended to Amma's wounds with simple bits of magic, right to full health. "Rest for now, beastie. We still have a long road ahead." Tenebrosia pat the Mayuno's tusk with one tap before leaving for the insides of the carriage.
Inside the bogie, Sekai was busy eating a simple cooked Avios egg alongside fresh fruits and vegetables, alongside a glass of water, as he sat on a chair facing a simple wooden bar top. "I still feel guilty of hurting that beast," Sekai huffed with a saddened tone. "It's a dangerous world, and you were only defending yourself. Don't think about it too much." Tenebrosia replied as she leaned her elbow from the other side of the bar top. "Were you watching the entire time?" The Padomas boy asked, his tail waving slightly and his ears flapping. There was a pause, and Tenebrosia spoke again, "How about we play a little game? I answer your question, I ask you my own– and you'd have to answer it truthfully." There was a smirk on Tenebrosia's face, and the boy was hesitant. But given how the Maiden saved his life as well as Amma's, his honest answers would be a form of gratitude. "Alright, miss." The Maiden smirked once more and finally answered his question. "I knew your little woolly friend was worried, so I let him go for a while to follow you. I also got concerned about how long you two were taking, so I followed. It was only when that beast was cornering you two that I finally arrived at the lake." Tenebrosia tidied her glasses before leaning closely to Sekai. "And now you. Where did you actually come from? You're not exactly as sharp as the rest of the Padomi folks, and you once told me you're an orphan of Windstrew." The boy gulped his food and drank water before honestly, yet hesitantly answering. "I used to live with my mother in a secluded village at the very east of the country…" "The Green Boscages?" interrupted the Maiden. Sekai nodded, and he continued. "All I can remember is that I was young enough to know some, but most are a blur. My village was burned by a woman alongside terrifying demons years ago, and my mother had to give me to a fellow passing merchant who was fleeing soon. My mother was strong enough to summon angels using her light magics to defend every fleeting villager and their children, yet in the process– if my memory is correct– she was the only victim, and our village was wiped. And… I ended up in Windstrew, where the merchant dropped me off– he was unwilling to take care of me. I don't know what happened to the others."
Tenebrosia listened carefully, and once again, she fixed her glasses. "I… give you my condolences. Are you sad?" she asked, and the boy nodded without tears in his eyes. "I never knew anyone and how to grow close to them, even my mother. So, I don't feel sad." Sekai continued eating, and Tenebrosia left him to finish his meal. Tenebrosia pondered again.
The Maiden looked at the claw she got from the beast earlier, placed on a small countertop. That Bogg'Garok appeared all the way from the northern tundras all the way to the south is ecologically impossible. Something must've driven such dangerous and fearsome creatures to migrate so far to a warmer region, and nobody has even done that, magic or not; something far more powerful than even both grand mage and military power combined had to drive them out, Tenebrosia thought. Then, the Maiden pondered again; demons had been appearing years ago in the east, with no reports other than an unproven claim by an individual. Windstrew would've declared it a long time ago, but why haven't the King and Queen of the city taken defensive actions and addressed such a travesty? If the survivors of such an assault were to be true, then it is a declaration of war, civil or not. But the governing power of the country, Windstrew's government, has not done anything. Were the boy's own claims false? But Tenebrosia sensed he was claiming truth. Unless…
"We'd be setting off soon," Tenebrosia interrupted herself and looked at Sekai, pushing her own questions to the back of her head. Sekai, just finishing his meal, nodded. When Amma heard such, it then helped itself to its saddle that pulled the carriage away, continuing to the dangerous north.