Cyrus walked through the hall by Kalika's side, keeping an eye from the rear with her as Lyra kept to the front by Biltrix. He peeked from time to time, with an unbound curiosity.
"Say, Kalika."
"Hmm?" She glanced with a hint of annoyance. "What is it?"
"Where did you learn to speak human if you don't mind me asking?"
"What are you talking about? This is how I've always spoken."
"Really," Cyrus raised a brow, surprised. "So is the demon tongue you second?"
"Of course it is. I've known about it since I arrived here."
Cyrus, even more confused, cocked his head. "I don't believe I quite understand. It takes years to learn a new language. Even for myself, it took me over ten years to grasp some of the basics."
"Well, I don't know what to tell you. This stupid dream always had something weird. When this is all over, I just want to wake up in bed with my maid by my side." Kalika pushed on ahead, leaving Cyrus behind.
Cyrus, now alone, could only watch her back, even more behooved. "What a strange woman…"
********
Donovan mustered all his strength and stood, leaning his hands against the wall. He listened as the words of the bickering guards unraveled into their true meaning. He looked on, completely baffled, hearing and understanding a language he knew he shouldn't know. His mind flashed back to the vague and strange white void he was briefly inside, still unsure how to react. "None of this makes any sense," he uttered.
The commander pushed the two guards off each other, scolding them.
With the demons distracted, Donovan drew his gaze to his pipe on the ground. He stumbled to it, only to be struck with an intense pain that surged in his heart. He winced and reeled forward, clutching his chest. "D-damn it!"
"
Surprised, Donovan took the vial in hand and watched as the commander of the small ground unit distributed two more of the same vial from a small pouch, who quickly gulped the vials down.
"Cy-Cyrus must've made these." Taking a chance, Donovan opened the small bottle and gulped its contents down.
Just as quickly as the pain came, it ceased. Donovan's lungs refilled with fresh air, and his once tensed body relaxed, and the strength that had waned slowly returned as if a huge weight was lifted.
Unexpectedly, the red-skinned guard presented Donovan with his pipe. "
Donovan took the pipe back, confused. "
"
"
"
"
"
"
Donovan, still contemplating, looked back at the commander who waited patiently for his answer.
While the brutish look af the commander felt imposing, it reminded him keenly of his army captains and commander. While tough on the outside, there was always an unspoken fear in their eyes that was unmistakable to him. Seeing this same fear, suck in his gut and nodded, surprising the other guards.
"
"No... K-kalika… I… I need to get to her."
"Kalika?" A guard wondered.
"
"
"NO!" Donovan pointed vigorously at the demon.
"Aha!" The guard pompously rubbed nose. "
"C-crap! How do you say it again?"
"
"
The two guards nodded and dashed off as Goff took the remaining forces with him. Not wanting to be left behind, Donovan followed the two guards, stumbling and trying to keep his footing as he followed. A surprising ache emerged from his heart. He winced, trying to ignore the aching in his body. "C-crap! What the hell is wrong with heart!? I thought that elixir was supposed to fix it!"
Donovan raced on, behind the two guards. "Whatever it is, hopefully it'll go away soon."
"
black lines on the buildings shot past Donovan and the guards.
"
Black oozy hands shot from the lines, reaching out with their grubby little fingers for Donovan. He jerked back and watched as they ran past the plethora of dark puppets emerge from the lines.
"
"
The dark puppets continued to watch on as Donovan and the two guards left behind a trail of smoke in their wake of the monster's emergence.
Slowly, Donovan caught up to the two and witnessed them conjure red spears in their hands. He glanced ahead, tracing their gaze, only to discover a large army of dark, differently sized puppets. "Holy Crap!!"
The two guards kept focused, aimed, and then launched their spears into the horde of puppets.
"What the hell is that supposed to do?"
Unexpectedly, the two spears grew to the size of the street and tore through the horde of Zorbian puppets, leaving their bottom halves without an owner.
"
With a nod, Donovan instantly manifested a fire at the tip of his pipe, impressing the two guards. Although confused by the quickness of his magic, Dononvan launches the growing ball of fire into the horde along with the other guards.
Fire engulfed the end of the street in a sea of flames that was instantly broken by a vast gust of wind that created an entrance through, letting Donovan and the guards jump through.
Now in the plaza, hordes of the dark puppets surrounded them at once and, slashing and swinging their weaponized arms without mercy. Donovan blocked, dodged, and burned through the sludge monsters as the guards conjured their magic and sliced through the puppets with wind magic. Donovan quickly became overwhelmed and, using his pipe, spewed fire into the horde of puppets.
"
Donovan glanced at the concerned guard and ceased. "What else can I do?" He then turned to the castle, which seemed so far from them. "The last thing I need is to get killed by these things!"
Unexpectedly, several more demon guards converged with them, blasting through the army of puppets.
"
Donovan looked up, stunned momentarily. "For a second, I thought he was Bjorn."
"
The big ogre captain scoffed. "
The captain pointed straight to the large gate. "
Donovan tightened his grasp on his pipe as he looked over the sea of dark puppets, barely kept at bay.
A large axe was conjured in the ogre's hands and smashed straight into the ground, destroying its very foundations. "
A large black hand erupted from the ground. The captain snarled and smashed his axe into the and, destroying it.
The captain quickly pointed his axe at the castle."
Cries of war erupted in the group of guards as the captains raged through the horde of puppets. The ogre's axe swung, cleaving through the army of sludge monsters with ease as he issued commands to eradicate the creature with fire.
Fires shot at the monsters, covering the arm in a new blanket of fire. All the while, Donovan, cautiously, spewed flickers of fire into the growing bodies of the Zorbians' puppets.
As they reached one of the plaza's pillars, a blast of water suddenly erupted on both sides, washing away the hordes of the puppets. Not long after, several more guards joined in for the charge.
"
He watched as an even bigger puppet emerged from the line. He sneered and cut the monster in two. "
A massive wave of wind blades sliced through the hordes as they reached the pillar and ran past it.
"
Lines quickly zipped past Donovan and their ground along with several long hands that outstretched from the lines. They grasped and tripped the guards charging alongside Donovan's. Concerned, he glanced back and noticed hands on his tail. "Are you kidding me!?"
Donovan turned and burned the hand asunder. from the fire, he could only watch as the unfortunate guards were trapped, slaughtered, as he was forced to leave the remaining few for dead, including two of the guards who first led Donovan.
Donovan could only clench his teeth in frustration as his focus was glued to the gate ahead.
Soon, they reached the second pillar, only for taller and slankier oozy monsters to suddenly emerge from the lines. and lifted their long-bladed arms, and swung at the captain. The quickly clashed with the huge demons blocking the attack, practically protecting himself and anyone behind him. He repelled the attack and watched as flames emerged from both sides of the plaza. "
The commander from before, along with several other demons, joined in. "
"
Walls of earth quickly emerged from the side of the plaza, circling around the black lines as the guards around Donovan plunged their hands to the ground, erecting even more walls circling around the lines and closing them from the remaining horde.
Now safe, Donovan collapsed, completely exhausted. "Holy shit! I don't think I've run like that since that rebellion in Gallock!" He continued to gasp, trying to catch his breath.
"That scared incubus?" Goff asked,
Donovan, now recovered, looked at the gate and traced his gaze up and down. But to his shock, as he gazed over the gate, he noticed a familiar blue hand sliding across the railing of a balcony along with an all too familiar voice.
" " Kalika then peered off the balcony, unconcerned.
"K-k-Kalika!?" Donovan clenched his fists. "So she is here!"
Donovan took a lung full of air and, with determination, shouted. "KALIKA!!!!!"
The guards around looked at Donovan as though he lost his mind. Even Kalika, spurious, peeked down at him and the guards.
Donovan was half tempted to tear his helmet off, but, staying cautious, he continued to yell. "KALIKA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!!>"
Kalika continued to look at Donovan, unamused. "Is that Donovan? What is that idiot doing now?"
Lyra placed her hand on Kalika's shoulder and looked down at the group of demon guards. " Cyrus obeyed, leading the group as Kalika glared at Lyra.
" " The captain and the guards followed Donovan's gaze as he kept his hands balled in frustration.
"< That's Lyra. The captain noted. She must be one of the co-conspirators.>"
"" Goff Noted.
Suddenly, a loud rumble shook the ground, and a large black hand emerged, smashing the earth wall.
" "Tch!" The captain turned from the gate. "Goff! Tav! You're with me! The rest stay put until we kill that thing outside. And keep your eyes on that succubus! I doubt she'll come down, but stay on your guard!>"
Lyra smirked, amused. "Oh-ho~~?"
The captain plunged his hands into the ground and lifted himself and his group over the wall, and swung headfirst into the equal-sized behemoth.
Now alone with several other guards. They all stood on guard, unsure what the women would do.
"They're all on edge…" Donovan noted. He eyed the door and, without hesitation, moved up to the large gate.
" "We don't have time to wait! The longer we wait, the more likely it is that Kalika will do something she'll regret!" Donova glanced at his pipe. "Maybe if I try that blade thing again, b-but this time control it more, maybe I can break through."
Donovan prepared his pipe but stopped.
The rush of wind under him. The sound of fluttering clothes. Clearly, someone was standing right behind him.
Lyra licked her lips, seeing Donovan's composure falter.""
The two clashed at once, Donovan blocked Lyra's dagger aimed for her head as he barely kept its tip at bay.
" Magic channeled into the Donovan pipe, surprising Lyra. And with all his strength, he pushed Lyra back.
The other guards around pointed and aimed fireballs directed at Lyra, a clear warning on display.
Donovan posed, ready in his armor, and pipe at the ready. All the while, Lyra frowned, staring coldly at him. Slowly, her frown twisted into a demented and manic smile.
" A chill ran down Donovan's spine, one unlike anything he had felt thus far. "W-work of art?"
Black lines soon traversed over the earth walls, and dark puppets emerged from all around as Lyra's own personal army, armed and ready to kill. " ********
Inside the Inn, laid a ruin. Debris was scattered, black lines filled the rooms, and a door, now a complete and giant hole, for the empty and vacant building.