The sun shone brightly over the kingdom of Lisbea, the birds were singing and the blowers were blooming. Through the streets of the city an atmosphere of calm and zest was noticeable. It has been a few days since the lisbean army returned victorious from 'The Battle of Demon Valley', as it had been called.
Soldiers and mercenaries were equally received with cheers and given a proper celebration for the victory in the form of a great feast inside the castle where even some citizens were allowed to participate. The feast went as good as it could, the lisbeans had a great time celebrating, drinking and eating all together united not as a kingdom, but as humanity.
As for the demons they had taken as prisoners, they were left in the dungeons of the castle for the time being. At first many people desired to have them publicly executed to demonstrate a point, however it was ultimately decided to keep them enclosed as they assumed the other demons wouldn't give a fuck about their comrades' demise. They could find something for which they could be useful, eventually.
Right now, Lyle found himself in a room inside the castle, at the balcony to be more specific, impressed by the amazing sights he had of the city from this place. He wasn't wearing his armor, something that had become abnormal for him at this point, only the clothes he usually wore under them, nothing fancy but neither vulgar.
Lyle looked back through the crystal doors, inside the room was Sylvana. Earlier that morning she had come to him, telling him that the prince wanted to talk with him personally. This confused the swordsman, who asked what was the reason for that, but the only thing he got was a vague answer, so, without further options, he accompanied the elf into the castle.
The room was very elegant, more than Lyle had ever seen with his own eyes, the room was decorated with rugs and banners of fine silks, colored of purple and golden, as well as furniture that seemed to have been crafted by the goddess of creation herself. In the room there also was a turned on chimney with a surprisingly intense fire.
Lyle decided to enter back to the room, leaving the doors of the balcony open as entering had made him remember why he had left in the first place. The room was really hot, and he still wondered who'd have a fire like that on at these hours of the day during summer.
Sylvana found herself sitting on a fancy chair near the fire. Lyle walked closer, sitting on the couch right next to the chair.
"Aren't you heated? This room seems like it could get set on fire at any moment" Lyle asked, sweat already dropping through his face.
"My kind has a higher tolerance to temperature. This is not hot enough for me to be an annoyance" Sylvana responded.
"I'm envious" Lyle chuckled, which made Sylvana smile. "But anyways, where is the prince? I don't wanna sound impatient but if someone calls you'd expect them to be available at the moment…"
"You'll have to be more patient. After all, Lord Julius is the prince of this kingdom and his father is an old man, it is just natural that he has plenty of stuff accumulated all the time" Sylvana declared.
"Hmm… I guess you're right"
Speaking of the devil, a few moments after, Julius finally showed himself, however his appearance had caught Lyle off guard. The prince seemed pale, really pale and he also had a very big and fluffy blanket wrapped around his body.
Both Lyle and Sylvana stood up and bowed before the prince as he made his way inside, accompanied, surprisingly, by a demon girl of purple skin and white hair dressed up like a maid and pushing a cart with a teapot and some cups. She seemed annoyed.
"My apologies for the delay. I have some other responsibilities to attend, besides" Julius held the blanket tighter around his body. "Moreover, I have not been feeling pretty well recently"
"What is it that ails you, my prince?" Lyle asked.
"It's nothing worth the worry. Just the side effects of overusing my magic, I'll be fine within a few days, now please, take a seat. Judith, please, serve us some tea and check the fire"
The three of them took their seats as the maid served them some tea before turning to the chimney to move the wood with her bare hands.
"Please, bring more wood" Julius asked the maid who quickly obeyed the order, leaving the room.
"I see you've decided to give some use to the prisoners" Sylvana said as she took a sip of her tea.
"Is it safe to have her go alone?" Lyle questioned.
"Worry not. She values her life" Julius answered as he took a big sip of his tea.
"Well then… may I know the reason I'm here?" Lyle asked as he tasted the tea.
"Right" Julius shifted on his seat. "Mr. Lyle…"
"Heiwane, my last name is Heiwane"
"Mr. Heiwane, I've been told that you took a big role in the defeat of a very powerful demon. Is that correct?"
"Umm… yes, it is" Lyle was nervous.
"Moreover, he was the one to give the final hit" Sylvana added. "Hadn't it been because of him, I would've been defeated without doubt"
Lyle blushed, a bit embarrassed. "I mean, I can't deny it"
"You must be quite the skilled warrior if that's the case" Julius took another sip of his tea. "I'm going to be straight with you. I would like you to join the lisbean army, If you're as skilled as Miss Sylvana here says you are, I could put you as protege of one of our generals right away"
The proposition had taken Lyle off guard, the blonde was unsure of what he should say next.
"It is a great opportunity that very few could aspire to" Julius remarked. "I really suggest you to take it"
Lyle gave himself a moment to gather his thoughts. He gave his tea another sip and then looked at Sylvana, trying to find something in her eyes, which of course he didn't find. After some more thinking, Lyle took a deep breath and looked at Julius.
"Look, my prince, as much as I appreciate the offer… I must decline it. I don't think I have what it takes to be a soldier, I believe I'm fine right where I am, with my friends, so, thanks for the proposition, but my answer is a firm, no"
Julius looked surprised at first but then smiled. "Very well, I respect your decision, if that is what you desire. But if you happen to change your mind I'm willing to accept you"
"I really appreciate that, my prince" Lyle made a little reverence.
"Nonetheless, I refuse to let you go unrewarded. What you did was no little thing, ask me anything and I may be able to give it to you"
"I mean, I did get paid, but if you insist…" Lyle gave himself a brief moment to think of something. "Well, I don't know if it's asking much but… I currently live with my friends in a very cramped house"
Julius raised an eyebrow. "A house you say? I think I can make something about it, however it will take a few days"
"That'd be great, thank you my prince"
Moments after, Judith walked back into the room carrying some logs that she put in the chimney without care. Once finished, she turned to look at Julius.
"Anything else?" She asked.
"Yes, could you turn off your sleeves?"
The demon looked at the sleeves of her attire, noticing that they had been set on fire, which she managed to get rid off pretty easily, although the sleeves could not be saved, revealing the pair of bright bracelets around her wrists.
"What are those?" Lyle asked.
"Those are inhibitor bracelets. The name is pretty self-explanatory" Julius answered. "You may retreat. I have to get a new uniform for my maid"
"Alright, my prince, I'll be going" Lyle said.
"I'll accompany you" Sylvana said.
Lyle and Sylvana stood up and bowed before Julius before leaving the room. They kept their silence for a while as they walked through the corridors of the castle until Sylvana decided to speak up.
"I must say, Lyle, I'm quite surprised you turned down such an offer"
"I-I know, it's just… this kind of stuff it's not for me, if you understand me. My sole objective is to get rid of Esteller and his empire, after that… I have no intention of lifting a sword ever again in my life" Lyle declared.
"So, that is what you aim for. Who am I to judge other people's objectives?"
"Speaking of, what are you going to do now? Since the cannon is destroyed, I don't think you have any reason to stay around here, do you?"
The elf was a bit surprised by Lyle's interest. "That is technically true. My duties regarding the Elven Cannon are done, under any other circumstances I would go back with my kind, however, I would like to stay, more specifically, by your side"
"Huh? Why?" Lyle was taken aback by the declaration.
"Although your skill is inferior to mine, you're clearly superior to me in strength. I'd dare to say, you're more powerful even than Drake and Erbow, even Lord Julius himself. I believe you have what is needed to take a menace like Esteller is, and I desire to support you on that mission"
"Wait what? I mean… I appreciate the intention, but I don't think I'll need it. After what happened back there at the tower. I don't think Esteller and his empire are all that menacing actually" Lyle declared.
Sylvana stopped walking, soon so did Lyle.
"I'm afraid you're wrong" Sylvana declared.
"What do you mean?" Lyle asked in confusion.
"You see, in my time on the castle, some of the soldiers here told me a… story, it's about Esteller"
"What story?" Lyle was intrigued.
Sylvana took a moment to remember the story. "Apparently, it is something that happened many years ago. Have you ever heard of the kingdom of Maridia?"
"Doesn't ring a bell. Should I know it?"
"Well, for a long time, that kingdom has been ruled by the Sakkita family, their previous king was Markus Sakkita. He was a tyrant and moreover, he was extremely powerful, I heard that he was considered one of the most powerful magicians to have ever existed" Sylvana declared.
"Is that so?" Lyle was shocked.
"Yes. I even heard that he destroyed an entire kingdom, completely alone"
"That sure is something big" Lyle said with disgust noticeable in his voice. "But, what does he have to do with Esteller?"
"It happened 15 years ago. Esteller and Markus fought against each other. Very few details are known about the fight, but one of the few that are known is the result. Esteller won"
"A man with the capacity to destroy an entire kingdom on his own… dead by Esteller's hand" Lyle thought, the surprise on his face was noticeable.
"In all of these years I can only imagine that Esteller must've become even more powerful than he used to be… even if his demons aren't as powerful as we thought, he as an individual, is for sure a treat to take on account"
Lyle swallowed saliva at Sylvana's statement. Destroying an entire kingdom by one self was for sure no small feat, knowing that Esteller was at such a level of power, or even higher than that. He felt scared, this threat is greater than he could have ever imagined, if Esteller decided to act against Lisbea, they would stand no chance.
"Being that the case… I'd really appreciate your support, Sylvana" Lyle said, looking her in the eyes.
Sylvana just smiled and began walking again through the corridor again, nearly tripping on a set of stairs right in front of her, fortunately Lyle was able to grab her in time to prevent her fall.
"Thank you" The elf said.
"No issue" Lyle responded with a smile.
"Being honest, my time in this castle wasn't really pleasant. A place with so many lifeless objects placed everywhere is very inconvenient for me"
"I cann't imagine how it must be"
Lyle and Sylvana left the castle together. They walked through the streets of the capital, heading back to Mistia's place to tell the others about the news. During their walk, they stumbled across the crowds of people on the streets, the spirits the victory against the Esteller Empire seemed to not turn off as the days passed, moreover with people coming from other places just to hear stories about the battle, others to get to know the kingdom that had stood up against Esteller and there were also the merchants trying to take advantage of the furor to make some money out of it.
The situation showed itself to be particularly annoying for Sylvana, even though walking through masses of bodies wasn't something particularly bothering her, the reduced space of the street and the numerous hazards that she could not see were a very annoying issue. Things such as boxes left there and even the stands of the street vendors.
It took a while for Lyle to take notice of the situation, it wasn't until Sylvana hit herself against a pole that he finally realized the struggle she was going through. So, he took her hand and began to guide her amongst the crowd. Sylvana seemed a bit reluctant but did not stop him.
Once they were out of the crowd, they took a seat on a nearby bank to take a little breath of air.
"Thanks for that" Sylvana said, she looked a bit embarrassed.
"It's no big deal. You've lived your entire life on open fields, I understand it can't be easy for you to adapt to cities. Besides, we are teammates now, so we have to help each other" Lyle said with a comforting voice.
Sylvana seemed a bit surprised. "But this is not the battlefield"
"And? We don't need to be in battle to help each other out. Aside from teammates, I want us to be friends" Lyle smiled.
"Friends, huh…" Sylvana smiled. "I don't think any of the companions I've had previously would bother to help me with such a triviality. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a companion whose relationship with me went beyond our roles as guardians"
"Well, you do now, and I'm pretty sure once you meet the others that number will increase" Lyle gave her a reassuring smile as he extended his fist for her to clash her own with his.
"I believe it will be an interesting experience" Sylvana said with an expression of intrigue.
For a couple of seconds, a slightly awkward silence made itself present as Lyle continued to hold his fist in the air. Sylvana became confused at the feeling of him shivering a bit.
"Is something the matter?" Sylvana tilted her head.
"Oh, well, it's just…" Lyle lowered his fist. "I wanted to do a fist bump with you, but I just remembered that you are… well, and… ok, this is uncomfortable"
"Oh, my, well then" Sylvana lifted her fist in the air. "Is it something like this?"
Lyle chuckled and fist bumped with Sylvana, after which they both stood up and prepared themselves to continue their way towards Mistia's residence.
Upon reaching the place, they both entered the small house, Lyle leading the way as Sylvana followed behind. Only Ascalon and Mistia were present at the moment, the former polishing his axe while the latter was serving herself tea. The gazes of both of them quickly landed upon the elf.
"Sylvana?" Ascalon asked. "What brings you here?"
"I have decided to join your party" The elf responded.
"Why?" Mistia asked.
"I intend to support Lyle and Ascalon on their mission to kill Esteller"
"Is that so?" Ascalon raised an eyebrow. " Well, you're quite the skillful warrior, so… I guess it wouldn't be bad to have you around"
"Yes, this place is a bit small, but be welcome" Mistia said.
"I highly appreciate your welcome" Sylvana smiled.
"And about the place" All gazes landed upon Lyle. "I have some great news. Lord Julius had called me to offer me a position amongst the lisbean army, I declined of course, but he also offered me a reward for my help during 'The Battle of Demon Valley', and I choose a new house"
"You rejected a position in the lisbean army?" Ascalon seemed intrigued.
"Well, yes, I just… don't think that would be a life for me" Lyle declared as he scratched the back of his head.
Ascalon gave him a proud smile.
"So, we are getting a new house?" Mistia asked.
"Yes, we are, I hope that doesn't offend you. Your place is not that-" Lyle was interrupted before finishing his sentence.
"I don't mind. This place is a piggery" Mistia affirmed.
"Oh, well, I'm glad to hear that" Lyle smiled, making Mistia blush just a bit. "By the by, where is Stella?"
"She went to church. She should be back soon" Ascalon responded as he returned his sight towards the weapon in his hands.
Sylvana approached Ascalon who continued to take care of his axe, she sat next to him, making him turn around to look at her.
"Forgive my dareness, but may I grab your axe?" Sylvana politely asked.
Ascalon seemed a bit skeptical. "Hmmm… I don't see why not"
Ascalon handed Sylvana his axe, the elf took it in her hands and began to explore the ironwork with her hands, feeling each centimeter of the weapon, examining it.
"The material is not the greatest thing, but it is evident that this is well taken care of" Sylvana said.
"Thanks, I guess" Ascalon responded as he grabbed back his axe.
The sound of the main opening caught everyone's attention as they turned around to look at Stella entering the room. She seemed confused by all the gazes landing upon her, but it got quickly replaced by curiosity when she noticed Sylvana's presence.
"I'm back, what is going on here?" The healer asked.
"Sylvana is joining us and we'll get a new house" Lyle summarized.
"Really?" Stella approached the elf. "Very well then, welcome to the team! It'll be… " Before continuing her welcome, Stella gave a brief glance to Mistia before saying her next words to Sylvana. "Delightful to have you on our party"
"I appreciate that" Sylvana said as she extended her hand for a handshake.
Stella and Sylvana shook hands, the latter could not avoid feeling like things were heating up just a bit, but she made her best efforts to just keep a smile.
Within the next few days, Sylvana began to grow used to the party, mostly deepening bonds with Lyle and Stella, both whom she considered friends. Whereas Mistia and Ascalon were more reserved regarding a more significant relationship with the elf, keeping a more professional attitude towards her, which Sylvana really didn't mind, it was a kind of relationship she was really accustomed to.
Amongst those days, Julius fulfilled his promise of a reward by giving out a new house to Lyle, it was a significant improvement in comparison to their previous residence, it was a two floor place with four bedrooms, although not enough for everyone, Ascalon affirmed to prefer sleeping on the floor, and even though Lyle wanted him to have a bed, the axeman insisted to sleep on the floor. The new house was also located in a more pretty place of the city, it wasn't the section for the rich at all but it was still a much better part to live in.
However, as the days went by, so did the worry of some in Lisbea for the possibility of a retaliation of the Esteller Empire against them. The captured demons had been divided, a part of them had decided to accept their new reality and serve the kingdom of Lisbea to prevent execution. Another bunch looked for any way to be able to escape, even claiming that their comrades would come to their rescue, most of that bunch soon got executed, but a few remained, the ones smart enough that acting like wild savages was not the way out. Finally, very few others had become to an acceptation, not of a new reality but of death and limit themselves to remain on their cells until the day of their execution that they believe to be inevitable arrives, for them, either they'll die by the hand of the humans once they are begin to feel in danger or once their comrades come and completely run over the city.
Almost everyone in the army of Lisbea was on alert mode, expecting that at any moment the Esteller Empire was going to retaliate. And sooner than later, something happened.
During the night, at the north entrance of the city, two guards were killing time, playing rock, paper, scissors. Getting multiple draws in a row until they got interrupted by their superior, she scolded them both for doing stupidities while they are supposed to do their duty. Both soldiers apologized, but got interrupted by their superior.
"Apologies later" She said as she pointed her crossbow. "Someone is coming"
The soldiers looked in confusion as they turned to look at where their superior was pointing at, it took them a bit of effort but they were able to visualize someone approaching on a horse, the sound of the horses' steps grew louder as the seconds passed. The pair pulled out their swords and got in a battle stance for whatever could be trying to enter the city at these late hours.
The mysterious rider's figure became clearer as they got closer and closer, not very useful since they wore a hood that completely darkened its face, the horse however was much more identifiable, it was clearly not a normal horse, not because of its dark skin and grey mane, but because of the horns coming out from its forehead, its glowing four red eyes, a hanging serpent like tongue, teeth that looked sharper than they should and what seemed to be a column of bone spikes that extended from the back of its neck to its behind.
The rider stopped a few meters from the trio of soldiers, getting rid of the hood to show his face. Skin as dark as the night, three piercing red eyes and a pair of horns from each side of his head, undoubtedly a demon.
A cocky smile decorated the demon's face as he lifted his hands in the air.
"Drop your weapons, for I am a mere messenger. Besides, there is a damsel waiting for my return, you wouldn't want to make me look rude, would you?" The demon let out a cocky chuckle.
The three soldiers seemed skeptical about the truth of the demon's words, but after a couple of seconds of nothing, the superior gave the order for them to lower their weapons, making the smile of the rider grow larger.
"I really appreciate that you don't unnecessarily complicate this situation, it makes my job much easier" The messenger once again chuckled as he looked for something inside his clothes, soon he took out a well folded piece of paper and handed it over to them.
The superior was the one to receive it, still a bit fearful of the demon before her, she quickly stepped back after taking the paper.
"My job is done here. You might want to give that to your king as soon as possible" The horse whined as the demon held it from its horn. "Come on, buddy, it's time to go back home"
Just as he had arrived, the rider had disappeared into the darkness of the night, leaving three confused and scared soldiers behind. The superior was the first one to come back on herself and decided to unfold the paper, reading what was written on it left her completely cold, her two companions, illiterates, weren't able to comprehend what was going on, but after a couple of seconds, the superior began rushing back into the city and towards the castle.
Not much after, King John found himself in his room, admiring the portrait of a brunette and elegant woman on top of the chimney of his bedroom, however, his thoughts would be interrupted by no one other than his son bursting into the room.
"Father! The Esteller Empire has declared war on us!"