The depths of Grimmora were one of the many ways one could call the underground lair of the demons. Placed deep below Mount Aria and a stretch towards the Empty Fields bordering Malikan and Lignoria, such was the main domain of most of those devilish beings, where hundreds, if not thousands found themselves occupying what once was the land of the travelling Erans or remnants of what Mirillians could create.

Much of what remained from that was either changed to suit those smarter prawns in the masses or ruined just enough for those, so-called brainless ones, as in, everything clashed in a very harsh mix of both style and comfort.

Houses, if you could even call those strange structures used as mass storage (since the weaker of demons slept anywhere), grew much like mushrooms on the side of a tree. Boulders and such paved the way towards buildings climbing up circularly around a pillar of rocks or stacked atop one another, with yellow lights shining off a massive wall, stretching hundreds of meters up to the ceiling.

Grimmora wasn't as big as Magna, but what it lacked in width, it had in its height. Demons could easily climb up those other, stand-alone rocks and leap towards any place they could find. Roads were illuminated by some of the lit-up muna rocks, or fireflies passing through, scouring towards other corridors to avoid the likes of these.

Arches grew where artificial steps towards what some demons would deem the middle point rested, and such was exactly the place of feasts and alike. Captured goblins, other species or even humans were treated much like animals for slaughter. Stepping through, one would hear the imps chasing someone around with a bat before blood splashed atop a wall where it already dried beforehand.

Such sights were common day for the likes of Lisbeth, and her eyes focused on her objective instead. A tall tower, in the middle of all things, with those mushroom-like structures growing left and right and creating fake spores from the ceiling. Climbing in by the harsh, round staircase, she reached the top, where darkness covered each symbol drawn over Mirillian history, as the demons were the ones in control.

She skimmed over it, as per usual, and instead vowed to sit down on what resembled a throne in the middle. The chandelier above moved a bit, with a wind coming out from the gleaming holes above, and footsteps sounded on the inside.

Lisbeth squinted her eyes, as if awaiting the confrontation, and all of a sudden, a green, turtle-like figure stepped through the doorway, bearing a rather unassuming grin.

"Seems things didn't go your way, Lisbeth," they spoke.

"I don't need your pity or judgment, Leiru," she added, putting one leg atop another. "I'm pretty sure I knew what I was doing this entire time."

"Yet, you doubted the power of demons the second the idea of asking goblins for help appeared. They were the real reason all of this went to nothing, am I not wrong, khe?" he closed one eye, stepping in.

Lisbeth straightened up. "I never doubted anything, especially my wit. I just wanted to make sure it worked out, in the very end."

"Tell me all about it. It seemed that a lot of you were unsatisfied with Grimmora and wanted to expand your horizons. Or is it that you despised the fact that what he has now is still far, far away from the perfect human life?"

"I'd never want to be a human. They're weak and pathetic."

"So are goblins. Your very own words, yet, you watched the legacy of the Zimorron dynasty tumble into the darkness with each decision you have made."

Lisbeth furrowed a brow, clenching her fist.

"Word spreads faster than you'd think. Tabus told me every single thing, but anyone except for you doesn't seem to put as much on the line as one would think. Everyone knew the effort was in nought, but they still followed you, because they knew you were strong."

"Because I am."

"Precisely, khe." he chuckled. "Tell me, then, what are you pondering over here by your lonesome, then?" Leiru asked.

Lisbeth tapped the side of the throne, shaking her head. "Your words exactly. I wanted to prove myself, and I was this close."

"One wrong step and it all came tumbling down. I suggest, don't beat yourself over a small mistake. You perfectly know whose words I'm referring to, right now."

Lisbeth held her word for a second. "Have you seen him recently?"

"Years ago, but one voice in my head keeps telling me the exact things he's thought of this entire situation. Shi Hon didn't want to take part in Magna's raid, for whatever reason. Instead, the consequences of your actions have had his eyes glued to something else entirely. Could you guess?"

"It's about the Demonears we spared," she answered.

"Spared is a kind word, but you're right, khe." he nodded. "When those ideas of human power fade away from your mind, come down to the chambers and we'll discuss this further. There might be a few things left for you to still find that strength."

Lisbeth inched closer, ever so slightly.

"A job that doesn't involve a single murder." he moved closer to the doorway. "I'm thinking, such is precisely the challenge here. Would you be able to spare a life for his words?"

The demoness moved back. "Yes."

"Be quicker, then. Some eyes are already set on the prize."

***

Jyuzou woke up to a strange sound.

After opening his eyes and turning with a groan, he spotted Daress in the corner, crouched, scribbling something on the ground with his sharp claw.

"Oh, you're awake!" Daress gazed at the Morian, smiling lightly, before jumping over. "The rains have stopped! We can continue through, mhm!"

Jyuzou sat still for a second, breathing out. His eyes landed on the book that he read earlier, then back at Daress.

"Y-You haven't touched this book, right?" he asked.

"Book? Huh? What?" The Clowinger asked. "No, Dorian, I can't read at all!" he laughed. "Fell asleep the second you guys did!"

"A page about Clowingers is missing," Jyuzou muttered. "Why's that, Daress? Can you explain that to me?"

"I never touched that, uuh, book, Jyuzou!" Daress raised his voice, pointing. "Besides, why would you search for all that stuff when you can ask dear old Daress?" he tapped his claws against the rocks.

Gulping, Jyuzou skipped through the pages, trying to locate the one he mentioned, but to his surprise, he noticed even more folds, creases and marks from ripped-out papers that he hadn't spotted beforehand.

"Maybe it was like that in the first place?" Daress proposed, inching closer.

"I always double-check," Jyuzou mumbled. "I w-wouldn't have made that mistake."

"Meh!" Daress continued. "I don't know, Jyuzou! I can't help you with this!"

"Tsk." Jyuzou pushed himself against an adjacent wall, looking to the side.

Morio groaned, stretching, opening his somewhat greyish eyes. He rubbed around his eyelids, squinting, as if he was trying to make out something from the depths of the mist.

"Hello, Morio! Are you ready for the day?" Daress beamed, stepping closer, while Morio glanced at the other Morian, for a second.

"What is that?" Morio pointed forward with a strange expression on his face.

"The Yuman Swamps!" Daress replied. "We've already left the Harm Lands!"

"Not the swamps." Morio blinked twice. "This." he waved his hand around.

"T-There's nothing there, Morio. Only the same places we were in yesterday." Jyuzou added.

"No, don't you see it?" Morio tugged on Jyuzou's shoulder. "A marble tower, and a castle. A town... people are walking around. They're looking at us. Why don't we leave this cave and-"

His eyes widened.

An image appeared in his iris. One, of something terrifying and dark, the other, a strange light shining in.

"M-Morio?" Jyuzou broke the silence, and the other Morian slowly looked at him.

"There's nothing there," he said, surprised.

Jyuzou gulped, putting the book in both hands.

The white-haired glanced down. "Sorry. I barely woke up."

"Come on, Dorians!" Daress crawled out of the opening and almost jumped into one of the many pools of the swamps. The sky was a heavy grey, and the mist wasn't as dense, yet felt a bit damp.

Morio stood up, breathing out and putting his hand on his forehead, feeling a pulsing pain.

"...are you sure?" Jyuzou asked.

"About what?" Morio asked.

"I could say e-everything." Jyuzou put his hands on his sides. "Do you still think following him is our only way to go? I mean, we know the road by now."

"I don't want to have this argument." he started walking away, and Jyuzou quickly followed, grabbing onto his shoulder. Morio shrugged it off, annoyed, turning around.

"Are you sure that everything you're seeing still stems from a lack of sleep?" Jyuzou gulped. "C-Come on, you can tell me."

"Who cares, Jyuzou?" Morio backed out. "Maybe this is the change we both longed for? Have you forgotten? Do you still want to remain a coward?!" he yelled out, his voice echoing across nothing.

"It's not about being cowards anymore." Jyuzou stood his ground.

"What better proof there is than everything that's happening? Maybe..." he breathed out. "Maybe you won't like the other me. That's fine. Don't expect everything in life to be just as simple and plain as in Mistwick." he clenched his fist, breathing in. "Your very own words, right?"

Jyuzou seemed hopeless, furrowing a brow, but Morio didn't utter another word. With one last glimpse at his friend, he spun on his heel and trod the path that Daress made.

"Quick, Dorians! Quick!"

The longer the three travelled on the empty plains of the Yuman Swamps, the longer their fear lingered, and the less they felt as if something was still at stake. It was once again, strangely quiet.

The waters often formed roads through thick, leafless forests, forcing them to put their shoes into strange, sticky liquids, while Daress trod the edge that the Morians had no way of striding.

Sometimes, the water reached up to their stomachs, greatly slowing them down. It took them about two hours to pass through one of the deeper paths of the swamps, which spanned only half a kilometre.

Afterwards, came empty lands, with large lakes and trees with extremely long branches, going up into the sky and shaking without a wind.

The fog grew denser, turning thick white, forcing Daress to stop and analyze their surroundings.

On one occasion, he counted on his fingers, looking down at the small stones lying on the ground. He told the Morians that apparently, some Clowingers left different rocks to mark the way back home, which depended on the weather from earlier. This part of the swamps was well-known for its lack of visibility, but he mentioned that he never had as much trouble beforehand. Nonetheless, when the whiteness ended, they stepped out onto plains that to some would've been the key definition of empty marshes.

Small, grey and thin trees, tufts of grass and small pools of dark water, among a sea of the same liquid. There were these small islands connected either via sunken logs or dry, massive leaves that floated above the surface, lightweight, yet able to carry the three.

Some of the turf was yellowish, much to Morio's dismay. Jyuzou was well aware of Morio's strange taste in colours but was more curious as to why Daress was specifically dodging those islands as if they were sharp arrows.

"Yellow grass?" The Clowinger asked, turning around. "Something hides right below. Small caves that can only be accessed by the tiniest of centuras!"

"Centuras?" Morio tilted his head. "Aren't those the spider animals?"

"Yes!" Daress raised his voice. "How did you know?"

"W-We have those in Shimori. Century Valley?" Jyuzou glanced at Morio.

"Mhm! They're not that scary." Morio shook his head.

"They're harmless, uuh?" Daress squinted his eyes, staring at the golden barley in question. "No, no, they're deadly!"

Morio and Jyuzou glanced at each other.

"They have a poisonous juice hidden inside the lump that's their bellies, and if they sting you, you're dead by the next hour," Daress muttered. "They never leave their premises, uuh, but it may be the case that if there's no other way, we'll have to step through their paths."

"N-No," Morio muttered. "If it's that dangerous, then we better avoid it at all costs." he bit his thumb.

"Is this about the colour?" Jyuzou whispered.

"N-No! Maybe!" Morio responded. "Kinda."

"Morio's right. We can't fight them if they're so small!" Daress turned around. "We'll have to go through the waters."

"Not this again." Jyuzou looked down at his dirty clothes.

"I'm sorry, Dorians." Daress looked around. "The rain from yesterday made it impossible for us to use the shortcut leading to the plateau!"

Morio was rather confused. He copied the maps Daress scribbled earlier, yet, seemed rather suspicious about the paths they were taking. At first, the image in his mind suggested that the plateau they were heading towards was rather far away.

"Damn it," Morio mumbled. "Is there no safer way?"

"No. This land is full of dangers I'm helping you avoid. Sometimes, though, you'll have to face the challenge yourself!" Daress gulped. "Look it dead in the eyes, and say, I'm not afraid! You can't hurt me!" he smiled a bit. "I believe in that, Dorians."

"I've seen more demons in Shimori than here," Jyuzou said. "I thought that when exploring this world I'd be set with what weapon I have, but it turns out it won't even be of any use."

"There are bigger dangers in this world than demons, Jyuzou." Daress stepped into the water. "Sometimes there's no way around them. Push right through, and hope you can make it out to the safer dangers." he flew up a bit, signalling with his hands for the Morians to push on through the thick liquids.

"Y-You're right, Jyuzou," Morio admitted.

"Hm?"

"I think I'd be more thankful if it was just the demons that we had to worry about," Morio informed. "No animals back in the forest, and centuras are the very first thing he mentioned."

"Weird, then," Jyuzou added. "Nothing here seems to make any sense. Why would rain bring stones from the sky for easier pathing?"

"We don't know much about clowingers." Morio sighed.

"S-Surely." Jyuzou sighed. "Except for the obvious, ever-present confusion, is there anything else to be scared of?"

Morio scratched the back of his head, shaking it, with one eye blinking. "The silence."

Jyuzou stared forward for a bit, with the mentioned sounds only being broken by Daress hopping back and forth between the damper of specks of dirt.

Eventually, he hesitantly stepped into the swamp, breathing out.

Their movements were noticeably slower now, and they often struggled to reach the nearby island, which was not as far as it appeared.