----Chapter 2----
"A monster?"
The word felt small and weak coming out of my mouth, barely audible over the rustling of the Aethergrass.
A cool breeze whispered through the meadow, carrying the scent of damp earth and something else acrid and unfamiliar.
It smelled like burnt metal mixed with ozone, making my nostrils twitch.
I scanned the treeline, my heart hammering against my ribs. I didn't see anything, but the red auras around Deran and Kaleen were undeniable, a clear warning sign.
They were definitely hiding something.
"Just stay behind us, kid," Deran said, drawing his sword. The steel glinted in the sunlight, reflecting in his narrowed eyes.
"We'll protect you."
Protect me? Or use me as bait?
The thought flashed through my mind, unbidden. I had no idea what kind of monster they were talking about, but I wasn't about to blindly trust these two.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Was it just the lingering dampness from the rain, or was it the growing sense of dread?
"What kind of monster are we talking about, exactly?"
I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Kaleen chuckled, nocking an arrow.
"Oh, you know the usual. Goblins, maybe a stray wolf. Nothing we can't handle."
But as he spoke, the red aura around him intensified, flickering like a dying flame. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple, and he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand.
My eyes narrowed, suspicion growing.
"Goblins and wolves don't usually require that much preparation."
I said, gesturing towards Deran's drawn sword. Deran's jaw tightened, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face.
Deran's smile faltered, just for a moment.
"We're just being cautious," he said, his voice a little too loud.
"Always better to be safe than sorry." He shifted his weight, his hand unconsciously moving closer to the hilt of his sword.
"Indeed," Zeberu's voice echoed in my mind, laced with amusement.
Observe their deception, Hiroki. They believe you naive, easily manipulated. Prove them wrong or lead them on. Their desperation is amusing.
Desperation? What are they so desperate for?
I clenched my fists, trying to control the rising anxiety. Was that my own thought, or was it Zeberu planting ideas in my head? I glanced at the mountains, calculating the distance.
I doubted I could outrun them, especially if there really was a monster lurking nearby.
•••••
"So," I said, forcing a smile that probably looked more like a grimace.
"Where is this town you're heading to, anyway?"
"It's called Iskervale," Kaleen replied, relaxing slightly. The red aura around him dimmed, replaced by a flicker of orange.
"A few hours' walk from here. A nice, quiet little place."
"Quiet?" I raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.
"I thought you said there were monsters around."
"There are," Deran interjected quickly.
"But Iskervale has walls. It's safe inside." He hesitated, his gaze darting towards the trees.
"Relatively safe, anyway."
"Iskervale is usually quiet, but lately… there's been some worry," Kaleen added.
"A group of rookie adventurers went missing a few days ago. Never made it back from a simple patrol."
Walls that keep the monsters out—or the people in?
The thought sent another shiver down my spine.
I decided to play along, for now.
I needed to learn more about this world, about the auras, and about what Zeberu really wanted from me.
"Alright," I said, feigning reluctance.
"I guess I don't have much of a choice. Lead the way."
••••
As we started walking, I focused on the auras. The intensity of the red seemed to fluctuate depending on what they were saying.
When they were being truthful, the aura dimmed. If they were lying, it flared up like a warning signal.
Fleeting flickers of other colors orange when Kaleen seemed amused, a brief flash of blue when Deran mentioned Iskervale.
It's like a living lie detector, I thought. But how did it actually work? Was it tied to their emotions? Their intentions? Or was it something else entirely?
Then I noticed their muddy boots once again.
Ask them about the mud on their boots. It will be enlightening. And perhaps, a little entertaining.
Zeberu suggested, his voice a low hum in my mind.
"It will be… enlightening. And perhaps, a little entertaining."
I hesitated. I didn't want to reveal that I could see something they couldn't.
But Zeberu wouldn't have suggested it without a reason.
I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that I was being manipulated like a puppet on a string.
"So," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Where were you guys before you found me? You've got a lot of mud caked on your boots."
Deran and Kaleen exchanged a quick, uneasy glance. The red auras flared up, brighter than ever.
"We were… hunting," Deran said, his voice strained and tight.
"In the swamp."
"The swamp?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't see any swamp on the way here."
And even if there was a swamp, would it really leave that much mud, caked so high up their boots?
"It's… off the main path," Kaleen added, his voice equally strained.
Deran's hand tightened on his sword hilt, and Kaleen's eyes darted nervously from side to side, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.
They were lying, and they were terrible at it.
"We were tracking a particularly nasty beast," Deran continued, trying to sound convincing.
He swallowed hard, his eyes flicking towards the trees as if he expected something to jump out at any moment.
A beast that requires you to lie about it? The swamp is a convenient excuse, Hiroki. But what lies beneath the mud? What secrets are they trying to bury? How fascinating.
I ignored Zeberu's comment and pressed on, determined to get to the truth.
"What kind of beast were you tracking?"
Deran and Kaleen hesitated again, their faces etched with discomfort. The red auras were practically blinding now.
"A… griffin," Deran finally said, the word barely a whisper.
My eyes widened in surprise. A griffin? Like the ones on the coins in my pocket? I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the cold metal of the coin.
Those aren't just decorations, are they? Were they mine? Or did they belong to someone else, someone who wasn't coming back?
"A griffin?" I repeated, incredulously.
"Those are just myths, aren't they?"
"Not in this world, kid," Kaleen said, his voice grim.
"Not in this world."
••••
As Kaleen spoke, a low growl echoed through the forest, followed by the snapping of twigs under some immense weight.
The air grew heavy, and the scent of burnt metal and ozone intensified, making my nostrils burn. A flock of birds burst from the trees, scattering in panicked flight.
Then, the ground began to tremble beneath our feet. The Aethergrass pulsed with an erratic light, the colors shifting wildly, mirroring the unease churning in my stomach.
Distant roars echoed through the trees, growing closer with each passing second, each one sending a tremor through the earth.
"What's happening?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts.
"Trouble," Zeberu replied, his tone suddenly serious.
Big trouble.This is no mere griffin this is something far older, far more dangerous. Something connected.
Before I could even react, the trees in front of us exploded outwards, splintering and crashing to the ground. A monstrous roar echoed through the forest, shaking the air itself.
The ground shook again, and the trees swayed violently, scattering bursts of glowing Aethergrass.
Deran and Kaleen drew their weapons, their faces pale with terror. The red auras vanished completely, replaced by a vibrant, pulsating green.
What does the green mean?
I asked, barely a whisper.
Fear. They are terrified, and so should you be, Hiroki. This creature feeds on the life of the land. It is a blight upon the Aether.
It was an Aetherwyrm.
Then, a shadow fell over us, and I looked up, my heart pounding in my chest.
I stared into the heart, of the so called Aetherwyrm it's luminous form, a swirling vortex of light and shadow that seemed to defy all natural laws.
Suddenly, a searing pain erupted in my chest, as if my very soul was being torn apart. I gasped, clutching at my chest, my vision blurring at the edges.
I saw a color within it's massive body, a color I hadn't seen before, a color that seemed to resonate with the pain in my chest. It was a deep, pulsing purple.
Corruption.