Morians weren't known to skip meals.
It may have happened here and there, but in every town in Shimori, or even outside, they'd have their usual bunch: a light breakfast, soup, satiating dinner and a rather uneventful supper. There were many more options for seeds, fruits and meats, but when it came to the epicentre of all variety, it was Wendigo that had a water trade route to other countries.
That's why, if you were hungry in Shimori and had to choose one of the three bigger towns, you'd likely settle on that one.
As for Morio and Jyuzou, they didn't have breakfast in the morning or at noon. Every item they had was consumed in an unsuccessful attempt to stay awake. They settled out 15 minutes after waking up, walking atop the frozen snow walls, which buried any of the plentiful bushes.
Fortunately, the last stretch from Tilted Hill to Wendigo was rather uneventful, in comparison to their earlier travels. They didn't have to step into any of the groves; following a bendy, white and wide line. The trees slowly pulled together, and Morio noticed footsteps growing denser, and the noises of various people, as well as what they presumed to be animals, could be heard.
The silver leaves shook with the wind, leading down a wooden path, decorated with stone houses. They were all circular, and only when the paths started branching out did some turn taller, while others remained smaller, leading to strange-looking fellows stepping out and carefully eyeing the visitors.
They wore brown hats atop a more saturated outfit, consisting of a big jacket, a hefty handbag and long beige boots. Some of them had animals wandering around, pet sheep, small ponies, and even horses.
"They don't look like morians," Jyuzou commented.
"You're one to speak," Morio smirked as Jyuzou tried punching him, but Morio swiftly avoided the shot.
"They're different from the ones from Mistwick."
"Yeah, you're right." Morio noticed, taking a look at the map. "We're not that far into Shimori, and look how much has already changed! Exciting!"
"Scary," Jyuzou muttered, picking up a Shato seed from the ground, in tandem with a morian shooting him a suspicious glance. Soon enough, and as Morio ran off, he approached Jyuzou, twirling his moustache.
"Oi, boya," he pointed. "Put that down where you found it."
"Why?" Jyuzou was confused. "It's just a seed."
"It fell from my juniper," he pointed up. "You think everything here is for free?"
"Ah." Jyuzou took a step back, shocked, clenching the item in his hand. Then, the man's expression swiftly changed.
"This right here is worth only one Silver," he said, taking a shining coin out of a handbag and giving it to Jyuzou. "You can buy it from me if you want."
"H-Huh?" Jyuzou was confused.
"You're from Mistwick, aren't you?" he continued. "Things work a little bit differently over here," he took the Silver coin from his palm and left the Shato seed unscathed.
Jyuzou stood still, a bit addled. Morio suddenly sprinted back, grabbing him by his fluffy shoulder pads.
The glassy-eyed turned to see Morio pointing at a sign, with the words Wendigo, written in thick, black writing.
Then, Morio motioned to more text, freshly painted below.
"Lookie here! The ones going to the Demonear test, please check in at the Edge Silver Line bar and inn!" Morio read aloud, as the wooden roads changed into stone paths.
In the distance, you could hear the waves crashing into the rocks. Still, the nearby sounds consisted of ringing bells, stomping horses, talking people, running animals and folk loudly sipping on beers, vodka or other drinks, which Wendigo was known for.
Precisely, to some, it was described as only that. A wooden paradise, filled with round stone buildings, filled with the dizzying stench of alcohol, but you couldn't tell that during the daytime. People were active, opening stores and trading food for Silver. Among morians, there were many paladians, staying at different inns for the time being, or actually leading quaint lives.
They didn't interrupt the morians, usually avoiding conversations. Not that they had anything bad on their minds, just... morians were pretty self-centred at times.
Only when night fell did the two groups come together, often with drunken parties in bars. They'd chug until they'd faint, and when the morning came, they were forced to make up for the chaos they brought, yet that didn't deter them.
Wendigo was a rather calm city, all in all. Some rumoured that because of the alcoholic stench, no creatures tried to strike. No goblins, centuras, and only a few demons. Just drunken men.
In general, such was a rule with towns. There weren't many standalone huts or small villages in Shimori, because the bigger the group of people, the less likely the smarter demons would try and act upon their urges. There would probably be a Demonear hidden in the crowds, but Morio was rather surprised that no one out there would loudly proclaim their status.
The two passed by a windmill, searching for the bar far and wide.
"Very interesting." Morio started sketching something.
"The windmill?" Jyuzou asked.
"Pfft, of course not." Morio moved a bit so Jyuzou wouldn't pry in.
"But you're drawing the windmill."
"Look, okay?!" Morio panicked a bit. "Whatever this thing is, it's different from anything you'd see in Mistwick! Look at these buildings! They're so round and... boring, but that's what makes them cool!"
"They're cool because they're boring," Jyuzou repeated, giggling under his nose. "Yeah, right."
"Exactly! Mr Bancho wouldn't allow for such monotony back home! Wendigo is so much worse! Woo!" Morio raised both fists before clearing his throat, a little embarrassed. Jyuzou wondered where Morio had heard such a complicated word as 'monotony'.
"I-I think they're just made to house a lot of people. I'm pretty sure that at least a few families live in the same apartment," he pointed to the taller buildings, held up by a thick stone structure. "Much less personal than our huts."
"It's different, way different!"
"Worse." Jyuzou grinned.
A paladian passed by the two, burping with a beer in his hand. Morio gave him an excited look, and Jyuzou rolled his eyes, sighing.
"T-The sun is already setting." He folded his arms. "Would you mind moving along?"
"Of course!" Morio rubbed his hands together. "I'd kill for some cocoa right now."
"I don't think they sell cocoa there," Jyuzou muttered.
"What else would they sell, then?"
Jyuzou shook his head. Morio seemed offended, but the glassy-eyed one continued.
"Where do we even start? Brave enough to ask someone to help us?"
"We make a map of this place!" Morio blindly stepped around, and a horse almost bumped into his tiny body. "Oop, sorry!"
The morian atop shouted something mean.
"We came from there, followed this turn right here because I saw that thing and thought it was cool." Morio squinted his eyes, sketching something quickly.
"The windmill?" Jyuzou asked.
"Yeah, yeah." Morio pushed him off before putting the sheet even closer to his face. "Hmm..."
Jyuzou scratched his head before turning to a small, wooden pole with a few papers stuck to the side.
"Hmmm...!" Morio focused.
Suddenly, the other morian put a map of Wendigo in front of his eyes.
"Wow! You sketched it out already?"
"They have maps of the town, you idiot!" Jyuzou jumped up.
"Oh. Disappointing." Morio made a sour face before shaking it off. "There!"
The two trod the stone roads, passing by smaller buildings created specifically for entertainment. Bars, places where you'd play board games, rooms for instruments and music, shops or museums where one could observe how to make vodka.
They were connected in a long line, which bent according to the rocks surrounding the town, referred to as the Entertainment Road, which stretched through half the town's length. Almost every bigger road in Wendigo was named, leading to other areas that somehow didn't find themselves here
For example, the Farm Road led to... farms, at the edge of town, with only a few conifers and a lot of open terrain. The Housing Road led to a clump of houses, all placed in a sickening, square-like pattern, while the Belief Street led to a small church placed in the middle of a few rocky intersections.
There were many horses, travelling from one place to another. If a person wouldn't want to travel on foot, they could step inside a carriage for five Silver and get to any place around town and even a little further outside.
Wendigo was wider than longer, but still twice as big as Mistwick, with six times as many people. Moving along, Jyuzou would often get lost in the dense crowds, only to spot Morio's shining white hair and an excited smile, leading him further along the way.
Soon, the stone roads changed into the woods that first greeted them.
"WOAH!" Jyuzou grabbed Morio's hand. He gazed through the cracks in the wood, seeing no solid ground below.
There were many thick rocks, with gaps leading into the waters.
"Don't look down..."
"I think we're on some massive bridge." Morio proposed. "It's connected to the rocks with long wooden sticks," he squinted his eyes at the mentioned gaps. "They hold quite well, eh?" Morio jumped around.
"DON'T DO THAT!" Jyuzou screamed.
"Scared of heights?" Morio smirked.
"You're scared of the colour yellow!" Jyuzou huffed.
"Okay, okay, common mistake, I'm not scared of yellow, I just hate the colour and don't want to have anything to do with it."
Jyuzou breathed in through his nose, taking a decisive step forward.
"Let's continue!" Morio decided.
The boys travelled through the rather empty, dock-like wooden part of Wendigo. Horses stepped around, but fewer people were present, and after more houses, you could see the horizon, stretching into the distance.
Morio ran up to the wooden handrail and gazed as the sun slowly set. Jyuzou stared at him from a distance, a trembling mess.
Next to him were wooden stairs, leading down towards the port, with a big boat moving around in the waves. Wendigo had a direct trade route from here to Lignoria's Prope Portam, but the way from one town to the other was strange.
Firstly, you'd set out at the edge of the Aria River, which would transition into the Brown Sea with a roundabout route, avoiding Magna, continuing through the Crimson and the Dark, up until it reached the other port.
However, as of this time, barely any cargo has been shipped from one place to the other. The waters were rather uncalm in Yule, and there were slim chances of the boats making it to Lignoria. Furthermore, no one would wish to travel even further from the Mainland. Outer Errarion was almost inaccessible due to a high density of waves in what was called the Third Split.
Back to Wendigo, to Morio's right, stretched a long and straight road, seemingly extending into nothing. A paladian stood there, dressed in red, staring at the sky the same way Morio did.
"Morio." Jyuzou spotted something in the distance.
"Let me enjoy this moment." Morio shushed him, extending his hand and staring at the lights above.
"Morio!" he kept tugging his shoulder.
"WHAT?!" Morio turned around.
"The bar is over there!" Jyuzou pointed to his left.
"Oh! What are we waiting for, then?" Morio sprinted towards the big open door.
Jyuzou almost ripped his own hair out, and the two stepped into the bar, and what followed a look at the warm inside of the big wooden hut, was a cacophony of different sounds: morians, singing in sync with paladians, playing their thaduks or cloakies (small drums). Some paladian tripped, blackout drunk, and some other morian laughed at him.
They all sported unkempt, short beards, which wasn't something morians were well known for, maybe except for Bancho, but it was still a little surprising.
Morio gulped, standing back. "I think this is the wrong place, Jyuzou," he whispered. "There's no cocoa."
"Really?"
Morio punched him lightly.
"Shin, oh Shin." The bartender stepped out of a booth and helped the paladian up, carrying his heavy body towards a bench near another door. The entrance revealed a small flight of stairs, presumably leading to the inn portion, but even one glance at the bartender's tired eyes led the two to conclude that it would've been such a massive hassle to do even more than he already did. The others kept laughing. The bartender waved his hands around and then stepped back towards the entrance, before quickly looking down at the two.
Jyuzou unsurely waved, and Morio looked a little awestruck. Again.
"Um, young ones." he crouched, twisting his moustache with his fingers. "I don't think this is the right place for kids like you."
"You have all that strength?!" Morio asked.
"Morio." Jyuzou coughed out, bumping his shoulder.
"I mean, he must be a Demonear!"
"Oh, thank you, that's very nice. I wish I were, but a bartender's job here pretty much entails skills like these," he nodded. "Back to that other topic at hand... Do you want me to take you back to your house?"
"That's the thing, mister." Jyuzou stepped out.
"Bruno. You can call me just that." Bruno nodded, and a nice smile appeared on his face.
"Bruno, we don't have a place to sleep for the night!" Morio quickly explained.
"Mister Bruno..." Jyuzou coughed, punching him lightly.
"Ah, of course!" Bruno took a turn and went through a few drawers to his right, before taking out a few papers, quickly writing something down and passing it to the morians. "You could have room 52. There's only the two of you, right?"
Morio nodded, looking up.
"That'd be sixty Silver for a night."
The white-haired smiled, clueless.
Bruno coughed. "Sixty Silver."
"What's Silver?" Morio asked.
"Are you serious?" Bruno raised a brow.
"He doesn't know." Jyuzou pushed Morio out of the way. "Listen, we're heading to the Demonear test, and there was a sign-"
"Ah! Soon to be Demonears, I see!" Bruno raised his voice. "Then, the nights are free! You can go to the apartments on Milagro Street, number 301. There's another one setting out to the test the next day, so you'll share a room. Hope you don't mind." Bruno added, handing Jyuzou the key, which Morio quickly snatched from his hand.
"Another one?" Jyuzou asked.
"A paladian. He arrived two days ago, among the other candidates. Think he didn't take the boat, though..." he glanced up. "He may seem a bit scary, but he was more terrified than I could've imagined two kids like you doing the same thing," he laughed. "Don't you worry!"
Out of the blue, a morian fell to the ground, as the others laughed at him. Bruno sighed, stepping out.
"Th-thank you!" Jyuzou raised his voice, clenching the newly passed piece of paper in his hand.
***
Strolling through the streets of Wendigo, the houses created a cosy landscape where the roads grew wide, leaving lots of snow-covered areas to breathe. Unlike Entertainment Street, this part of Wendigo resembled a typical Yule village.
Horses were tied near fences, only a few carriages moved through the night and the tall peaks of the nearby hills, mountains and conifers extended beyond the level of the sea.
After about thirty minutes of stumbling around on Milagro Street, Jyuzou put his hand on the door handle, leading to a flight of stairs. The two stepped in, looking around. There were many different doors, totalling about seven apartments per floor.
Soon enough, they spotted the number '52' after moving up and counting through a few hushed yells between the two.
Morio hesitantly knocked on the door, and a muffled gasp followed, moving in with something crashing. The white-haired turned to Jyuzou, and he did the same, with worry.
Footsteps sounded, approaching the entrance. The door was now slightly ajar, and a pair of eyes stuck out, squinting.
"H-Hello," Jyuzou said.
"Hi," a rather deep voice answered, in a strangely calm, yet anxious tone.
Morio smiled, a bit dumbfounded.
"You're going to the Demonear exam too, right? Mister Bruno said that we're going to have to share a room t-together." Jyuzou fixed his glasses.
The man closed his eyes before slamming the door shut in front of their faces. Then, he ran around, and after about two minutes, he revealed himself.
Before them stood a rather tall man, sporting a long dark-red jacket, Paladian undergarments and a big scarf wrapped around his neck. He had long brown hair, with a part of it covering one of his ears and an awkward smile on his face.
"A-Alright." The guy added, a bit unsure. "You can come in now," he nodded, stepping inside as the morians hesitantly followed, glimpsing around.
There was a lamp hanging from the ceiling, which illuminated the brown carpet and the beige walls. Morio wasn't really sure if they were supposed to be yellow. The man sat on his bed, fidgeting with his fingers, nodding and looking at the two.
"This is nice!" Morio raised his voice, despite his earlier concerns. He ran up to the window. "Ooh, you can see the sea from here! Jyuzou, look!"
Jyuzou waddled over, blinking.
"...and now, the ultimate test!" Morio continued, before jumping on one of the beds. "Comfy! Although they should be a bit!" he squinted, pointing to the ceiling. "Up there!"
"S-Sorry for him. He's always like that." Jyuzou turned to the guy before bowing.
"I d-don't mind," he waved, laughing.
"Ooh!" Morio stood up before running over to the other room. "A toilet!"
Jyuzou sucked in air through his teeth.
"We usually share a bathroom in Mistwick! Big tubs filled with water outside in the snow! It gets cold sometimes! Neat inventions!"
"Wait, a tub on the inside?" Jyuzou stood up, interested, following Morio into the bathroom.
"You fill it with the water in the bucket! Just like in Mistwick!" Morio explained. "Jyuzou, remember when we used to take baths-"
"Shut up!"
"...together- ay, ay!"
Jyuzou pulled Morio out, pinching his ear, before letting go. He took a deep breath as his eyes met the paladian's, who trembled a little.
"Okay, so," Jyuzou uttered. "I don't think w-we got to introducing ourselves yet."
"R-Right." The other guy nodded before standing up, towering over the morians.
Jyuzou breathed in through his nose before sticking his hand out. "Jyuzou."
"Morio, here!" Morio jumped up. "Hi! Hello!"
The guy unsurely smiled, putting his hands together and nodding once more.
"We're from Mistwick, and similarly to you, we're going to the Demonear test," Jyuzou added,
"Mistwick? W-Well, that explains something," he added.
"Huh?" Jyuzou looked up.
"S-Sorry, you don't look like the morians from around here. Your outfit seems much more..."
"Colourful? Creative? Breathable? Great spotter!" Morio stated. "I can't even imagine putting on those stupid hats. It's the same with you, um...!"
"O-Oh! Atomu," he spoke. "I'm from P-Prope Portam," he added, unsurely.
"Exactly!" Morio snapped his fingers. "Paladians from Prope Portam look different from those in Saphrith."
Atomu smiled.
"Really?" Jyuzou put a hand on his chin.
"SOMEONE hasn't been listening to what Mr Bancho said!"
"That's p-pretty neat." Jyuzou beamed before shaking his head and fixing his glasses. "Listen, uh, we'll try not to interrupt you if that's what you want," he said, scratching his head. "We'll be setting out tomorrow, so all of this is just for one night."
"No, no, it's fine!" Atomu signalled. "I guess I'm just not used to having h..." he cleared his throat. "P-People around."
"You're way older than us, so it must be miserable having him run around the room." Jyuzou pointed with his thumb, and Morio's face was stuck to the pane, eyes squinted to spot the sea.
"He's a funny little dude," Atomu replied.
"You wouldn't say that if you had to spend longer than an hour with him."
Atomu tilted his head.
"Morio." Jyuzou turned.
"Yeah?" he added, tongue stuck to the window.
"I'm gonna go ahead and take a bath now. Make sure not to interrupt Mr Atomu in the meantime."
Morio gave him a sour look as Jyuzou confidently headed towards the bathroom.
"Stupid Jyuzou. I'm already done checking everything out." Morio headed towards his bed and lay, staring at the ceiling.
Atomu kept quiet, sitting in the same position. He kept playing around with strands of his hair, before spotting that Morio snuck a few glances at him.
"So. Back to that paladian thing." Morio said, turning around. "I've always wondered how different you guys are."
"I don't think there are many contrasts..."
"Well, I've heard that paladians aren't as used to the cold as us! How are you handling all that?"
"My clothes are thick enough. I knew what I was setting out to do, so a bit of preparation and I'm good."
"Ooh! Well-thought! So tell me, do you like Shimori?"
"I haven't seen much of it yet, but it seems pretty n-nice." The paladian continued. "I wouldn't call Wendigo too different from Prope Portam. After all, they're the ones who brought all the alcohol in here. I-I don't drink!" he clarified. "I just heard."
Morio sat up. "How old are you, actually?"
"Nineteen in Gorro," he explained.
"I turned eleven recently. I wish I were as old as you already! People like that glassy idiot-." Morio pointed to the toilet. "-wouldn't feel so powerful about telling me off!"
"Heh. I don't think I'm all that grown either," he signalled with his hands. "Just older. Maybe a little nervous too."
"Ya open quickly though, Atomu!" Morio pointed. "Is it okay if I call you that?"
"M-Mister would make me feel old," Atomu snickered.
"Oh, okay!" Morio jumped down and ran over. "Then, we can officially call each other friends from now on!"
"Huh?" Atomu smiled awkwardly.
"Well, when I do get to see you during the Demonear exam, we'll recognise each other!" Morio smiled. "...or anything!"
Atomu beamed. "S-Sounds fine to me."
"Yeah. Meet up in a bar for cocoa, or hell, a snack or two. Could show you some of the Morian specials! Like... like..."
Morio closed his eyes before his lips made a really strange shape. The paladian glanced over with a tinge of concern.
"Mh!" The boy fell to the ground.
"W-What is it?" Atomu looked concerned.
"I haven't eaten in three hours!" Morio turned, terrified.
"Oh, my." Atomu looked around. "W-We can go and get something if you'd like," he proposed. "We'll leave a note for the other morian, then."
"Yes..." Morio huffed. "Let's go, Atomu...!"
***
Following the same route as before, only now with even fewer people or horses, Atomu and Morio reached the Edge Silver Line. They stepped inside, greeted by Bruno, who carried a fainted morian in both arms.
"A second, my boys." Bruno gave them an 'okay' before throwing the man onto a bench.
"Won't he get cold?" Atomu asked.
Bruno laughed, curling his moustache. "You don't know the lengths these people can go to. Heavy snow, a cold night, nothing will deter them. They'll wake up the next day asking for more. He's been causing more trouble than usual, so he'll sleep out here," he clapped his hands. "I see that you've met with the paladian!" he turned to Morio, who nodded with a grin. "What is it that you need?"
"Heard a thing or two about searching for the better, cheaper restaurants around town," Morio said.
Atomu nodded. "The less flashy spots. We t-thought we could ask for some recommendations."
"Lots of places, all of them far from here, unfortunately," Bruno answered. "...and if I remember correctly, you don't have any money on you, right, morian?" he asked.
Morio looked to the side. "No."
"What a shame!" Bruno put his hand on his forehead. "I guess I'll have to treat you to my cuisine!"
"I have money!" Atomu took out a pouch.
"Sh!" Bruno shushed him.
"But-"
"Let me cook for you." Bruno nodded.
The two were led to the back, with four square tables, a door to the kitchen and another one leading to the bar.
Atomu and Morio sat on opposite sides of the table.
"I'll be bringing you my speciality in just a few minutes. Anything to drink in the meantime?"
"Cocoa!" Morio raised his voice.
"Tea, please," Atomu added, nodding.
"Alright, alright! You mind if I join you afterwards? I'll be needing a little break soon."
Atomu smiled awkwardly.
"Not a problem!" Morio yelled out.
"Okay! I'll be right with you!" Bruno waved before treading to the kitchen.
Morio smiled, following the bartender with his gaze, before his eyes met Atomu's.
"H-How do you do that?" Atomu asked.
"Do what?"
"I've always had people telling me that I'm weird. Even when I was your age." Atomu put his hand on the table, bowing his head. "So I guess I'm talking about being more... open..."
"I don't know." Morio quickly answered. "...and I think you're the first person that doesn't look down on me for acting like this!"
"It's a good thing to have," Atomu raised an eyebrow. "I wish I were this confident."
"I like to think that way too, and then comes Jyuzou, lashing out at me for not being the boring plant-interested idiot he is!" Morio signalled with his hand. "We're all young. I could still change, but I enjoy the Morio I am!"
"W-Well, if you put it that way..." Atomu nodded.
"Nineteen isn't that old! You should've seen Mr Bancho." Morio smashed at the table, lightly.
Suddenly, something sounded in the other room, breaking the flow of their conversation. The two turned, and then a bottle hit something wooden, followed by a scream.
"Shin." Morio squinted before looking out the blurry window of the door, spotting a few drunken men chasing ten Silver, found in the hand of another figure, running in a panic.
Atomu stepped, gazing out. "I'm not sure if that guy stole the money or is baiting the- oh, never mind."
"Did he just jump out of the window?"
"No clue." The paladian shook his head, sighing.
All of a sudden, the door swung open, pushing the two away. "Why did you leave without telling me anything?"
"Hey, liar! We left a perfectly fine note!" Morio butted in.
"You complained about being hungry the moment you woke up, so of course, you were planning to eat something!" Jyuzou raised his voice. "I had to get through this parade of drunks by myself! They were yelling at some mirillian with a bandana. You guys know who that is?"
"I think he died." Morio smiled.
"He only jumped out of a window!" Atomu was shocked at Morio's version of what they had witnessed.
"Food!" Bruno kicked the kitchen door open, carrying three plates, and placed them on the table. "Oh, Jyuzou's here too? Well, one was supposed to be eaten by me, but that's okay, enjoy yourselves!"
"What about our drinks?" Morio asked.
"Crap!" Bruno closed the door again as the three sat down.
"I'd like tea!" he raised his hand. "You paid for this?" Jyuzou asked, sitting next to Morio.
"It was on the house! Bruno's a lovely-dovely bartender!" Morio answered, before burying his face in the plate.
Atomu was shocked, holding the fork with his shaky hand.
"It's Mister Bruno, Morio. Have some h-humility." Jyuzou shook his head.
Morio breathed in, swallowed, and turned. "What's with you and that formality?! Don't you think it makes all of them feel old?!"
"Y-You call Bancho mister as well!"
"Because he's ancient, isn't he?!"
"Who's Mister Bancho?" Atomu asked, but was too quiet to get through to the two.
"Here are your drinks!" Bruno announced, proudly placing the cups down. He sat on a nearby chair as Morio began sipping, already finished with his meal.
Atomu was somewhat impressed, and Jyuzou's face seemed to tell a different, more 'used to it' story.
Bruno leaned back, sighing. "Future Demonears, huh? I've seen lots of people like you come and go over the years. It's always the same thing."
"What do you mean?" Jyuzou asked.
"You lot come for the same reason. To become a Demonear coincides with the idea of becoming someone important in this world. Be it exploration, promises of defence and everything else." he turned to Morio, who spotted a small beam. "Bear in mind, though. The world isn't as simple and clear as you might think it is. The test is extremely difficult to pass, and even then, you'd find people in power to doubt what Demonears can achieve for various reasons."
"As in?" Atomu asked.
"I heard here and there through passing paladians that Palski wanted to ban Demonears for good. Reason cited, siding with the demons. You know what I'm talking about, right?"
Atomu glanced down with a quiet gulp.
"Not really," Jyuzou replied. "How is that supposed to work?"
Bruno breathed out before putting both hands on the table. "I'm sure people have told you about how dangerous Errarion is, over and over again. Let me guess, did they refuse to elaborate any further or answer your questions?"
The white-haired looked confused.
"What do you really know about demons?" Bruno asked.
Morio and Jyuzou glanced at each other, and Atomu coughed out.
"That they're scary, dangerous, out to kill people? That's barely scratching the surface, in my opinion. I haven't been to the exam, but I know that only one in twenty actually becomes proper Demonears. There isn't a limit, far from it. It's just nobody's really ready. They don't know how to fight demons. They don't know what they're facing."
"I know my stuff!" Morio raised his voice.
"Lots of people say that, and then they fail, awkwardly waiting for someone to take them out of Magna." Bruno continued.
"But, I'll pass! I'm sure of it!" Morio punched the table. "I've trained for so long, I have to! I can't waste this opportunity!"
"Calm down, son." Bruno signalled. "I didn't mean to offend you."
"Demonear exams are said to be trials, seeing if you're ready to handle the task. What does demon knowledge h-have anything to do here?" Atomu uttered.
"I don't want you boys looking for excuses. As a morian who's lived his entire life in Wendigo, I've seen or heard whatever passed from one mouth to the other ear. Politics, demons, Demonears, food, money, essentially everything. So, I'll use this opportunity to make sure you know the very basics."
He stopped, as the silence filled the room from one corner to the other. One could instantly make out the drunken songs happily sung in the other room, and another person, presumably, falling on the ground.
Bruno did his best to ignore the said noises.
"Demons could be classified as just another race amongst many in Errarion. Believe it or not, before the First Errarion War, they were just like humans. They weren't looked down upon and were essentially treated as just another horde in the bunch. Frankly, no different than any of us."
Jyuzou nodded.
"One day, though, something sparked a conflict between the races and pitted the two against each other. They fought, and humanity won. They enslaved demons and killed them, with only one remaining on their side, who, presumably, started the Second War all by himself."
Morio's eyes shrank as he pressed his fist into his pocket.
"Some places still haven't recovered. Many things were destroyed, and Osmania fell. This union between the entirety of Lignoria, you know it, don't you?" he pointed to Atomu.
"My friend once told me," Atomu mentioned. "Prope Portam was once part of something else."
"Osmania tumbled because of the wrath of demons, and their grudge is still held to this day. Almost like a wire in their brain, telling them to act upon instincts, creating a brainless mass meant to satisfy their carnal needs."
"Humans created demons?" Morio asked.
"That's not what he said," Jyuzou added.
"I haven't lived for two hundred years, so I can't be the judge of that. You could argue who started what and who's on the wrong side of history. Frankly, I think there's both good and bad in everything."
Atomu turned to Bruno.
"You could explore those thoughts, though. If you had more time, I'd recommend checking the library on Nowlech Street. A couple of philosophers, like Asti Tundra, pondered over the same topic."
Jyuzou nodded, making a mental note.
"I'm getting off track," he shook his head. "After the First War, humans found a way to identify demons, which to this day works as it used to all those years ago. Not every demon looks like one; most of them are very similar to other races. Look at their features. Remember, if anything seems out of the ordinary, ears that don't fit any other race, eyes that don't resemble a familiar colour, clothes that look too worn-out for someone to bear them," he chuckled. "It's a dead giveaway."
"Don't all demons have horns?" Atomu asked.
"They do, however, they can easily conceal them, among a plethora of their other traits. Sharp teeth or a long, thin tail. That leads me to my second point. You can always tell if a demon has hidden its presence when you see a human in pain seemingly caused by nothing. Thirdly, they don't need to eat anything."
Jyuzou shot a glance at Morio, who seemed too invested in the story to think of last night.
"They can, but it just doesn't benefit them whatsoever. If you see someone who hasn't snacked on anything in days and they're not complaining, be wary. Demons can heal themselves in exchange for some energy. They bleed way more than others, and of course, only a demon can kill another demon."
Morio furrowed his brows, Jyuzou glanced to the side, and Atomu bit his lip in stress, as he kept playing around with his hair.
"Coming back to my earlier point, the weapons the Demonears use are called Guardian Demons, woven with a demon's blood. I'm not too well-versed when it comes to how it all works, but picture using a demon's claw, without its consent."
"Brutal," Jyuzou muttered.
"Cool!" Morio raised his voice.
"M-Makes sense," Atomu added.
"...and if it wasn't obvious already, demons will always try to kill you. They can wait a few days, standing by your side, pretending they're someone friendly, and then murder you when no one's watching. They don't care if you've done something to them or not. They won't spare you if you can't strike back," he explained, and even the hush of the room seemed to muffle out the drunken haze.
Morio and Jyuzou blinked a couple of times, and Atomu fidgeted with his fingers.
"There's no good demon in this world," Bruno said. "You could argue with thousands of the other dangers present. Harpies, Malikan orcs, clowingers, goblins, fairies, hell, even mirillians think that a chimera is a reason they have a place to live in. Demons, though? No. They'll never show an ounce of their kindness. They were always stronger than humans, and I don't expect things to change as quickly."
"I-I think I'll go back to the apartment," Atomu said, standing up.
"Huh? Oh, I was just about to serve you the second meal!" Bruno said.
"Second meal?" Morio's eyes lit up.
"Sorry, I'm tired. I almost drifted off now." Atomu said.
Morio and Jyuzou glanced at Bruno, who put both hands together, as Atomu strolled out of the Edge Silver Line.
"So, boys. You think you're ready?" he asked.
"One can't make a cool map without a massive dragon flying atop a mountain!" Morio clenched his fist.
"Dragons don't exist," Jyuzou added.
***
The morians stepped out of the bar and met a strange silence. The sky was dark, and the streets would be too if they weren't illuminated by the same orange lights as before. Except for the inside, nothing else spoke of that same humanity.
"It's late again." Jyuzou squinted. "This entire journey completely ruined my sleep schedule," he sighed. "...and damn that Atomu," he put his hand on his forehead. "Why'd he have to leave us alone here?"
"He was sleepy." Morio excused him. "I don't think you realise how important sleep is."
"Did you s-selectively ignore everything I just said?!"
"Whatever, it's cool! We can make it back to Milagro Street on our own to even further prove our maturity."
"Surrounded by drunk men." Jyuzou gulped. "Okay."
"Sorry, my maturity," Morio added, as the two started moving forward.
"That's now what I implied!"
"You're not even participating in the Demonear test, and you listened to Bruno's words as if they mattered to you!"
"They matter to anyone, you dumbass!"
"Back to you, glassy idiot!"
The morians trod back through the quiet snowy terrain, into the stony Milagro Street. As they stepped around the taller buildings, some faces were revealed. A few men tumbled here and there, empty bottles of alcohol in their hands, navigating from the other, nearby bars into the rather homely streets.
"Um! Excuse me!" Morio smiled nicely.
"We'd like to pass through. You're blocking the way." Jyuzou said, with a straight face.
"Heh, sorry gentlemen," A drunk laughed, pushing himself towards the wall, before eyeing the two.
Morio glanced at him for a while longer, and Jyuzou quickly grabbed his hand.
"Come on,"
"He was nice!" Morio muttered.
"Not everyone is." Jyuzou continued. "Where the hell was that building anyway?"
As they trod further along the road, the man's gaze followed through. When a lamp, hanging off a small wall to their right, faded out of view, something flashed near Morio's neck.
"Shiny," he muttered, taking a step forward, before digging into his pocket with one hand. Two small coins of Silver were revealed, and he ground his teeth before glancing at the bottle.
With one final sip, he smashed it against the stone, leaving only half.
"What was that?" Morio asked, instinctively speeding up.
"Exactly what I just said. Come on...!" Jyuzou pushed him further, as the two turned the corner.
What followed was yet another noise. More of the leftover glass crashed into something else, as two arms found themselves wrapped around the drunk's neck. A sharp nail revealed itself, almost digging into his neck, before they abruptly let go.
The drunk man collapsed, and when the other person looked down, they were met with a strangely calm expression. The hat they had earlier worn now covered a part of their eyes, but then, snoozing sounded, and they glanced forward, before gulping.
***
In the morning, the three left the apartment. To make a rather long story short, Morio realised a thing or two, and Jyuzou called him out. They thought about it for a while, and it turned out that if Atomu was heading to the Demonear test, they could simply tag along, or even they themselves could guide him through Shimori.
Atomu said that he waited for Morio to figure that out, and Jyuzou went on a seventeen-minute-long rant about his incompetence.
Morio punched him, and Jyuzou went to the library to calm down.
The two waited, and after some time, the glassy-eyed ran up to them.
"Two minutes late." Morio looked at the windmill.
"I don't think that's a clock," Atomu said.
"What else is it supposed to be, then?" Morio said confidently.
"Sorry, sorry!" Jyuzou raised his voice. "I went to the library and got a book for our travels. I'll return it once the test is over!"
"You'll probably forget about it," Morio smirked.
"Shut up, Morio."
"Same with you, glassy idiot!" he yelled out, repeating the same thing he said yesterday.
Atomu stepped around, looking at the sky. "We're setting out a bit late. The sun will set in a few hours."
It was the eighty-second of Yule, and the next five days were the shortest in the year, with the sun out only for about seven hours. Half of Jyuzou's complaints could be attributed to that.
"Oh, right." Morio looked up.
"Thank Morio," Jyuzou added. "We'll make it in time, though. Again, a three-day walk from Wendigo to Magna, if we're fast enough."
"We managed to get to Wendigo in two," Morio muttered.
"Two and a half."
The test was to begin on the eighty-seventh and set to end on the first of Herbes.
Herbes, being the old Manjuno word for nature, was known as the one where the cold faded out, bringing a warm front, which allowed for growth. The season was seen as a big fade; each day it got a little warmer, and the colours seemed brighter. The first days of Herbes in Shimori were still very similar to Yule. Then, the snow started melting, and the dark green changed into a stunning purple. Rains started crashing down from the sky, but they were way more common in Gorro.
Thinking about any downpour, however, made Jyuzou mention a chance for another snowstorm. Recalling such, they eventually set out of Wendigo, tracing the same path the morians took into town, only now, taking a different turn, following through a small copse, then walking on snowy fields, which gradually became more forested, revealing a plethora of small huts built around the trees.
This little neighbourhood was called Wendia. It wasn't part of Wendigo, although it stood about five kilometres from the town. It seemed that at least three families lived there, with a horse that would follow them to the shops of the nearby area.
The houses quickly disappeared, however, and they kept treading the uneventful route. Jyuzou didn't find anything too interesting, except for more Shato seeds, so he resorted to reading the book he borrowed from the library.
"Interesting," Jyuzou muttered.
Morio was a little angry.
"Do you know what I've been wondering about, Morio?"
"Callothia?" he turned, with a grin.
"Aw. You remembered the name." Jyuzou smiled.
"Grgh," Morio uttered. "What?"
"Mr Bruno told us that demons don't need to eat anything. So, why did that demon on the Tilted Hill follow us if it wasn't hungry?"
"To seek refuge?" Atomu proposed. "Morio told me about that story when you were sleeping, s-so..."
"No." Jyuzou fixed his glasses with a sly smile.
"Turns out, the less intelligent demons follow seeds to find humans that they could murder," he raised a finger. "When a demon can't use its eyesight, it will use its nose for navigation. That's why, when you threw the seeds, it chased right after them!"
"Less intelligent, and it still seemed like it was smart!" Morio added.
"Animal-like could be the better w-word." Atomu continued.
"Whatever it is, I'm happy we've got that cleared up. Eureka!" Jyuzou beamed.
"I hate when you say that word," Morio said.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Morio smiled.
As the sun slowly set, the three stepped into a region called Lapida, well-known for its tall grasses, often unkempt, creating a maze through its insides. Nobody wanted to step into the actual grasses: they were rather sharp, and when snow fell the other day, it stuck to their thin stems. If you were to give it a little swing, it would shoot right into your face.
Parts of Lapida were owned by morians, who bought the land where seeds naturally grew in the plants, hidden between tufts. The stems protected the reeds from various animals and let in sunlight, so you could plant anything there and let it grow without thinking twice. However, in Yule, it was only full of Bullion seeds, as those were the most profitable for selling, and the ground was too cold for anything else.
With a few words from the nearby morians, they were permitted to move through its winding paths, which rested atop a hill. Next to the grasses was a juniper forest, coincidentally leading into a river that marked the biggest lake in Shimori.
"Half-demons." Jyuzou read. "Born from either fusing a demon with a human or the two... breeding. What's that supposed to mean? What is breeding?" Jyuzou asked Morio.
Morio shook his head. "Atomu, what's breeding?"
"Ugh." Atomu covered his face with his hand. "Don't make me say it."
Jyuzou looked back into the book. "It is said that exactly half of the half-demons are of pure intention, with their human side triumphantly winning over the other. Then, there are ones that are just like demons, with some human features. In Hakh-Nivena, they're not looked down upon; instead, treated like equals. However, many don't trust the mixed race, which has led to conflicts over the years," he read aloud. "Oh, that's on the next page. Neat."
"I think I've h-heard a story about a half-demon once," Atomu mentioned. "It's an old Paladian tale, at that."
"You guys have tales?" Jyuzou was confused.
"O-Of course we do!" Atomu turned around. "We're not c-cultureless...!"
Jyuzou shrugged. "I just assumed paladians are the most basic of races around Errarion."
Atomu was shocked. "Rude."
"Will. You. Be. Nice?" Morio smacked Jyuzou's head four times. "That title goes to erans!"
"Sorry, sorry. Tell us the tale." Jyuzou nodded.
"T-There were two half-demons. One, very human, looked like a paladian but had these small horns growing out of his head," he signalled with his fingers. "Then the second, barely resembling one. The paladians focused on the human one, trying their best to find a way to prove that he had some hidden scheme, but they kept failing that task. It all culminated in them subsequently proving that the other half-demon, the less human one, was much more humane. The other killed two families, I think." Atomu snickered. "Classic."
"These are your bedtime stories?!" Jyuzou was shocked.
"What about them?" Atomu squinted his eyes.
"Aren't they a little terrifying?" Jyuzou continued.
Morio looked around as the three stood against some tall grass.
"H-How else do you teach children?" Atomu scratched his nose. "They won't listen otherwise!"
"Danger has nothing on us three!" Morio added. "Now that we've got a paladian like you on our team.
"Morio." Jyuzou looked at him.
"Oh, please. You spoke ill of him, so I'm trying to get his spirits up! Go, paladian!" he raised his fist.
Atomu shook his head. "I'm not strong."
"You're way too humble. Just proved yourself wrong by answering Jyuzou's fiesty questions." Morio pointed. "What else do you know that's just blatantly written down in that book, eh?" he snatched the thing from Jyuzou's hands. "Let's check who's the smartest!"
"Give that back!" Jyuzou yelled.
"L-Listen." Atomu clenched his jaw. "We're just travelling, from point A to B, and that's pretty much it. I'll try to protect you, but I'd like to think it's gonna be mutual. I'm not all that."
"Of course!" Morio raised his fist. "He won't be of any help, though."
"MORIO!" Jyuzou uttered, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Just... don't think of me as your leader or anything, okay?" Atomu added, closing his eyes.
Jyuzou pushed the hyperactive Morio to the ground and fixed his glasses. "I assure you, he'd want the title more."
Atomu sighed before turning around.
All of a sudden, the grass in front of him shifted, and a silhouette appeared, pushing him to the side with a rather loud shout coming from the paladian.
The guy breathed in and out, holding at least twenty Bullion seeds in both hands.
"Hi!" he raised one hand as some fell to the ground, much to his surprise.
Atomu immediately turned. "The hell?! Who are you?!"
"Hold some of these for me!" he passed a few of the seeds into the paladian's hands.
"N-No?!"
"Wait. He's the same guy who caused a ruckus at the bar yesterday!" Jyuzou added.
"Huh?" Morio turned.
"Oh ruckus, I only borrowed a thing or ten!" he chuckled.
"GET BACK HERE YOU THIEF!" A voice yelled out from the tall grass behind.
"Oh, oh! Gotta go!" the mirillian raised his voice, pushing the seeds into the hands of Morio and Jyuzou as well. "Y'all, help me out here!"
"You're stealing the seeds?!" Morio asked.
The mirillian jumped through the grass in the front. "Borrowing," he raised a finger.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!"
The guy blinked and almost disappeared between the tufts.
"Damn it!" Jyuzou dropped the seeds and started chasing after him. Morio followed, and Atomu did the same, after almost sliding into the snow. He looked back for a moment, hearing the footsteps of the land's owner. He sped up, catching up to the mirillian.
"What the hell did you do?" Atomu asked, looking at his face.
"I'm hungry!"
"They're someone's property!" Atomu pushed around the grass.
"Then why weren't they signed, huh? It's out in nature!" he explained, before making a sudden turn. "...and nature gives back!"
"You!" Atomu grabbed his long scarf, and the other almost choked.
Morio and Jyuzou struggled to breathe in the snow.
"We have to keep running, run, run!" he yelled.
"I'm not in on your action! We'll stop and explain everything to the owner!" The paladian continued.
"There's no peace here!"
"GET BACK!" The owner screamed.
All of a sudden, the mirillian stopped, right in front of a cliff, leading into the forest below. Atomu bumped into him, causing the two to lose balance, but the paladian quickly grabbed his hand.
Then, Morio and Jyuzou joined, destroying the formation, as the four tumbled down the cliff, following a few screams permeating the area.
Eventually, they landed on a snowy road in the middle of the hanging trees.
The mirillian stuck his head out of a snowdrift, spitting out some snow. He stood up, brushing off the snow from his blue jacket and light pants, fixing his headband.
Atomu walked up to him, grabbing him by the scarf again. "You could've gotten us killed!"
"Could've!" he smiled. "But didn't!"
Morio shook his head as the snow fell off his hair, and Jyuzou stood up, finding his glasses in the white-haired's hand.
"We took what I'd like to call a strategic shortcut, then," the mirillian added proudly.
"To what?" Atomu asked.
"Magna! I have to make it there in a few days, after all," he raised a finger.
"What?" Atomu was confused.
"Are you going to the Demonear exam too?" Morio asked, stepping closer and putting his hand on the sheath.
"Exactly! I thought I'd stop for a moment to get food for the road, ya know, just some hawana fruits," he bragged, making sure everyone saw the smashed Bullion seeds in his hands.
"Hawana fruits don't grow in Yule. They're only there in Gorro." Jyuzou stood up, opening Wonder Flora. "See?"
He scratched the back of his head. "So these aren't hawana?"
"They're Bullion seeds." Jyuzou continued.
"Oh, Belfer!"
"Bullion."
Atomu looked up. "Oh, my," he breathed out, as Morio waddled over. "We need to find a way to get back to Lapida."
"This still is Lapida, just the forest part," Morio explained. "We were going to step into here either way, and just like that guy said, it will lead us through the Shimori Lake and into Magna."
"So what were we there for anyway?"
"Well, there was a safer road we could've taken," Morio explained, beaming.
"...and someone caused a rather dangerous change of plans!" Jyuzou added.
"Not just someone! Name's Chyuuichi, and ya?"
"Ya?" Jyuzou squinted his eyes.
"Do ya not understand basic Manpuno, or do I have to learn Thornic?"
"Manjuno, Toric!" Jyuzou smashed his head with the book he held.
Atomu sighed before turning to the others. "Did anyone get hurt?"
"Nothing a morian can't handle!" Morio raised his voice.
Jyuzou rolled his eyes, as if silently agreeing with Morio's words.
"R-Right." Atomu smiled awkwardly. "Y-You?" he hesitantly pointed to Chyuuichi.
"I dunno. I think I broke something," he searched around his pockets. "Aww! My favourite stick!"
Disappointed, the mirillian sat down, eating some of the Bullion seeds. Then, he spat all of them out. They weren't very tasty if they weren't boiled in stew.
"You can't grow Hawana fruits in the grass either." Jyuzou paced around.
"Oh?" Chyuuichi turned, frowning.
"Were you planning to steal some more?"
"Borrow! That's the right word!"
Suddenly, a wind picked up from behind the trees, and some of the white sleet gathered on Atomu's clothes.
It caused the paladian to turn, squinting, spotting the long white path stretching into the nearby sunset.
"What's that?" Atomu asked.
"I think it's a weird tree," Morio answered.
The two focused on something in the distance. It resembled a black hood, extending from behind a few of the juniper's branches.
"It's moving," Atomu muttered.
"It is a little windy," Morio replied.
"No. It's moving towards us." Atomu gulped before taking a step back. "G-Guys?"
"What's up, team?" Chyuuichi squeezed in the middle of Morio and Atomu, and Jyuzou looked out from the side.
"We're not a team," Jyuzou commented.
"Do you guys see that?" Atomu pointed out that the cape-like material around the figure started floating.
A black shadow covered its face, and when it came into view, Atomu's eyes shrank.
Morio hesitantly moved to the side.
"O-Off the road!" Atomu shouted as a loud screech echoed through the forest. The paladian jumped into the nearby copses, Chyuuichi came second, and Jyuzou followed right after, dragging on Morio's cloak.
The four stepped, hiding behind the bigger tree trunks. Atomu sat on the ground, holding his hand over Chyuuichi's mouth, while Morio and Jyuzou breathed heavily.
It turned eerily quiet. The wind faded into the sounds of the nearby animals, as the shadows shifted into the dark, night sky.
Atomu closed his eyes as Chyuuichi kept eyeing everything around him.
Morio looked up before putting his hand on the log and peeking out from behind the tree. The figure floated above, extending its devilish, sharp sword claws.
The morian immediately moved back, holding his breath.
One of the claws twisted into a bony hand, which reached towards the trunk, slowly crawling towards his face.
Morio breathed in.
He clenched the emblem in his hands.