Promptly after his "conversation" with Seris, Atlas walked down the long, ridged spine of Bithorn's back. The dragon's scales were warm beneath his boots, each breath causing the massive body to subtly rise and fall beneath them.
Near the tail end, Garruk sat cross-legged, his massive arms folded loosely over his knees. Ako was perched atop his shoulders, tugging at handfuls of the giant's thick hair while laughing and hurling insults toward Lorian—who remained curled up nearby, eyes squeezed shut, ears firmly covered.
"Stop messing around," Atlas said flatly. "We're close."
Ako immediately stiffened. She glanced over, eyes wide, tail flicking behind her. Even now, she still seemed unable to believe Atlas the Unseen was their leader.
"O–oh! S-sorry, Mr. Unseen—Mr. Atlas—Atlas, sir!"
Atlas looked up at her, unimpressed. "Atlas is fine."
He sighed and turned his attention to Lorian, nudging the fae-elf with his boot. "You too. Listen."
Lorian reluctantly peeled his hands away from his ears. "Fine. Geez…" His voice still trembled as he looked up at Atlas.
Atlas spoke evenly. "We're about to enter the Demon Territories. We don't know what to expect, so stay sharp. We drop down, find a way in. Our job is either to intercept the messenger or get the Culling Sphere to the Chieftain."
"Didn't the Grand Arbitrator hand you a letter?" Seris called from near the front of Bithorn's back.
"She did," Atlas replied. He pulled the folded paper from his pocket, glanced at it once, then leaned down and pressed it into Lorian's chest. "Read it. Keep yourself busy before your cowardice gives you a heart attack."
"What—"
"If there's anything important, tell me," Atlas said as he turned away. "I skimmed the first half. Terrain mostly."
Lorian stared down at the paper.
"…Asshole."
He slowly unfolded it—and his heart dropped straight into his stomach.
The script was elegant, flowing.
It was Elven.
'Shit…'
He reread the lines, hoping they would magically make sense.
'It's in Elven. I can't read Elven.'
Lorian swallowed hard.
'Dammit. I can't let them know. They already think I'm useless. Especially that short human prick.'
"What does it say?" Ako asked from Garruk's shoulders.
Lorian jolted. "H–huh?"
"She asked what it says," Garruk rumbled quietly.
"Um…" Lorian choked on the word.
'They can't know. I'm half-elf—I should be able to read this.'
"It's… nothing," Lorian said quickly. "Just… fun facts. Doesn't matter. We'll be fine. Peachy if anything."
He crumpled the letter and shoved it into his pocket.
The wind began to change. It grew thicker and colder whilst thunder cracked in the distance.
"We're here," Seris said calmly.
Atlas looked up.
Ahead of them rose a translucent wall of crimson energy, stretching from the churning sea below and vanishing past the clouds above.
"The Veil," Atlas muttered.
As Bithorn passed through it, the world shifted.
The moon overhead, once pale and white, bled into a deep, violent red—casting a suffocating crimson glow across sky and sea alike. The waves below reflected the color, turning the ocean into a writhing mass of blood-tinted foam.
On the horizon rose a massive island—its cliffs jagged and brutal, as though torn upward by the hands of something angry. Black stone speared toward the sky, scarred by glowing veins of ember-red light.
"Woah…" Ako murmured, staring down at her hands, now tinted red by the moonlight.
Garruk shivered. "It's… cold."
A sudden gust ripped past Bithorn.
Lorian squealed—but Seris only smiled.
Another dragon flew alongside them followed by another, then another. Some were sleek and serpentine, others bulky and scarred. Their wings beat through the crimson air like thunder.
"We're definitely in the Demon Territories…" Lorian muttered.
Near the back of the group, a slower, heavier dragon lumbered through the sky.
Lorian pointed. "Hey, pet—kinda looks like you."
"Shut up," Ako growled, yanking Garruk's hair.
Garruk burst into laughter. "It's funny because it has got red eyes like you! HAHAHA!"
Lorian sighed. "I was calling her chunky and slow, but I appreciate the enthusiasm."
"Oh..." The giant frowned slightly, "I thought it was funny."
Lightning cracked nearby, its blue light warped into a sickly rose by the Veil. The wind whispered here—not like air, but like voices just out of reach. The island began to loom closer.
Atlas squinted through the red haze, arms crossed. "Have him dip lower."
Seris nodded and patted Bithorn's scales. "Closer to the water."
With a heavy huff, the dragon descended, gliding just a hundred feet above the raging crimson waves.
"Stop here," Atlas said.
Bithorn flapped, hovering in place.
"Did we land?" Lorian asked hopefully.
"Nope."
Atlas pulled on his black leather gloves, sliding them over his scarred fingers. "A dragon landing draws attention. From what I read, no scouts on the outer rim—but we don't risk it."
He glanced back. "Hybrid. Anything about scouts?"
Lorian froze. "…Me?"
"Yes. You."
"N–no," Lorian said quickly. "Nothing about scouts."
"Good."
Seris chuckled softly. "I know what you're thinking."
"You do?" Atlas asked.
She nodded. "Let's go."
Ako tilted her head. "Go where?"
"I am also confused," Garruk added, raising a hand.
Atlas ignored them, he stopped to the side.
"Just do what I do."
He muttered before tipping backwards, he fell off the dragons back, as if he were back flopping. He twisted his body as he fell and pencil-dived into the red waters below. Seris jumped at the same time as he did. She simply walked of the edge and also pencil-dived into the waters—albeit more gracefully than Atlas. Garruk simply smiled widely.
"Ohhhhh! I understand now!"
With a laugh he stood up, Ako slipped off his shoulders and landed on Bithorn's back. The giant jumped off the back of the dragon. He pulled his knees to his chest and cannonballed into the water—as you can imagine it caused quite the splash.
This left just Ako and Lorian on the back of the creature.
It was silent.
"Um...You wanna go first?" Lorian said with a nervous chuckle.
Ako gulped, "No. You deserve to go first."
"R-Really...? Well aren't you just so kind..." He said with a shaky sarcasm, "I really think you should go."
"No. You go." She refuted.
"I insist!" Lorian grabbed onto her arm. She tugged herself free—the pair were now in a wrestling match.
"You go!" Ako yelped.
"Get your claws off me you worm!" Lorian squealed.
While the two were at war deciding how has to drop a hundred feet below into the red waves, Bithorn had different thoughts on the matter. The dragon let out a puff of smoke and flicked his tail upward, launching them off of his scaly back.
"AHHHH!!!" Ako's squeaky voice roared.
"HELP!" Lorian screamed—like a girl.
They vanished into the waves.
---
Atlas emerged from the water moments later, boots crunching against the rocky shore. He flicked his gloves and boots clean of the crimson water. Seris was next, she flipped her silver hair over her shoulder and ringed out the liquid. Meanwhile, Garruk simply floated onto the rock—like a beached whale. He was having a good time. Though Lorian—who crawled onto the pebbles, coughing and wheezing like he has a hair ball—was not.
"I hate you... all of you.." Lorian choked out as he lay flat on his back upon the rocky beach.
The Deathforged looked up at the towering cliffs.
Atlas grumbled. "Let's move."
He and the others Deathforged moved forward—all but Seris.
"Where's the girl? Where's Ako?"
Atlas turned around and squinted into the distance. He saw past the waves, a hundred fifty or so feet out, and saw two small pale arms flailing in the waves. Upon the head that belonged to those two flailing arms—were fluffy, pointed ears.
All the tired man could manage was to smack his lips.
"...Did no one check if the beast-kin could swim?"
Seris ran to the water whilst calling out, "Don't worry, Ako! I'm coming!"
Atlas simply palmed his face.
'This is really who you wanted on this team? Huh, Vorenna? Really?'
He saw a Giantblood beached like a leviathan, a hybrid crawling and coughing, and Dark Elf running toward the blood-red water—which contained a beast-kin girl who couldn't even swim.
'That damn witch cursed me with idiots.'