22:03

Now, with the help of the outsider, they found themselves going in the hidden cave by being careful near the unstable sand and forming a small hole in which they will have to fall safely this time. When they got inside, everything was nothing but pure darkness, just like the first time the ruler arrived in it. A bit of sand still falls slowly on the ground, but the boys just look around the area.

The Great Leader does what He did before though: He uses His powers to create a black mist which He will let it flow around His arm for Him to light up His C colour and see inside the cave. But for whatever reason, the boy's C colour seems to slowly lose energy out of nowhere without the need of any action. It is even stranger considering the fact that it doesn't light up at all, not even at the controller of the body's commands. It would explain the shock the stranger had when trying to light up its own C colour and why it stopped looking around the cave, perplexing the ruler as well.

[CHE5TER]-You good there, "buddy"?

[General]-Yeah, I'm fine... Maybe I'm just a bit exhausted. Do you think you have enough energy to create light for the both of us?

[CHE5TER]-Let's hope so... If not, I have some bad quality flashlights with me just in case. Look around and see if you find anything.

But the kid doesn't seem to do as the ruler commanded. Rather, it seems to struggle with its powers for some reason, trying so hard to make even the smallest mist possible, and staring at its right arm as if a curse was put on it. Maybe it feared the fact that it doesn't understand the sudden energy loss, but it sure fears now the fact that it cannot use its C powers at all. Even so, these actions of disobedience annoy the Great Leader. But then, the boy looks back at the ruler...

...Ally nearby.

...with such a terrified expression as if Death Itself was there to kill them both. So, it screams at the ruler.

[General]-Seven, watch out! Behind you!

The ruler admires a bit perplexed the stranger, but then looks behind and sees the white glowing eyes of a demon coming towards them. Yet now... He doesn't seem that scared as the first time. He looks as if He recognises the demon, being the same smaller creature that is curious of what's happening. After all, the demon is none other than...

[CHE5TER]-...Danny.

Danny sure recognised its name, tilting a bit its head and looking at the ruler, sniffing around His area and recognising Him too in the end. The growling seems pretty friendly for now, but the outsider doesn't trust the creature at all.

[General]-...We have to get out of here, now! If there is one creature, then there sure are more to come!

[CHE5TER]-Hold on there, General. No need of running. We can make it work out.

[General]-*sigh* Seems like I will do everything on my own then...

The outsider takes out one of its swords, but its not the same sword we saw before with a simple design like all the other ones. Instead, it is a dark sword with its end of the blade glowing red and an X carved on it which also glows in the same colour. Yet the boy seems in a relaxed position, only waiting for any creature to strike. CHE5TER sure doesn't know what's that sword all about, but He doesn't want a fight now.

[CHE5TER]-No need of attacking, General. Your weapons are useless anyway.

[General]-You are kidding me, right? Those are real creatures, Seven! They can kill us both with one wrong step! We HAVE to leave!

[CHE5TER]-You don't understand, kid! Let the sword down and listen to m--

...Strange smell, ruler. Very strange... Almost even familiar...

Yet the ruler is stopped by a voice that talks to Him, even confusing the boy.

This smell... It smells like enemy... Enemy...

[General]-...Seven?

...ENEMY!

And in the next second, the eyes of the Great Leader change, even trying to attack the boy itself, but He stops Himself from doing that, closing His eyes and hitting His head over and over again. The outsider looks even more perplexed at the ruler. But the moment both of them lost their attention on the demon, it seems as when you look back at it, it isn't the same friendly creature it was before. Its eyes have changed too, its growling got aggressive... and it seems to look straight at the boy itself.

As it notices it too, the outsider gets into its position of attacking, ready to see what the creature will do. But before anything, the ruler speaks again, with such a terrified voice that sure confused even more this stranger.

[CHE5TER]-...DON'T HURT IT!

At this point, it doesn't even know what to do. It looks at the Great Leader that struggles from nothing, then at the creature that is ready to attack. So instead, it puts itself now in a defensive position rather than an offensive one, as the creature finally starts making its moves towards the boy. And when it got even closer, the outsider finally manages to light up its C colour, vanishing in the blink of an eye as the strange mist travels quickly near the creature... and even managing somehow to hurt it just a little bit on its limb.

And I mean no shock of the body, the creature is actually bleeding out a white and glowing liquid from its limb, even getting a bit scared, falling to the ground and growling in pain. It is no serious injury though, it is just a cut to make it unable to attack again. And when it is done with the creature, the boy goes to the ruler to see what's going on, its C colour now beginning to rest again.

[General]-Seven! Seven, what's going on?

[CHE5TER]-...Calm down already... You won't win this...

[General]-Win what? Seven?

...Just let me take control, CHE5TER!

[CHE5TER]-I won't ever let you do that! You are going insane!

[General]-What are you talking about!? Seven!

...You don't know what you're talking about, and you don't even know the situation! Just listen to me!

[CHE5TER]-I will never do such thing! NEVER!!

[General]-Seven!

After some struggles, the ruler seems as if He gets back to its character, with His eyes going back to normal and looking at the boy that observes Him confused.

[General]-Are you okay, buddy?

Yet He doesn't respond, simply looking at the boy trying to recover from His terror, then looking around and noticing the demon standing on the ground, bleeding. He sure got confused too now.

[CHE5TER]-...Why is it bleeding?

[General]-Are you seriously gonna talk about the creature instead of answering my question, man?

[CHE5TER]-Why is it...

[General]-*sigh* I injured it, okay? We should be safe for now, at least until it brings its friends here. It shouldn't be able to attack for some minutes.

[CHE5TER]-But how did you injure it...? Its immunity shouldn't be affected... I don't sense any gas in this area...

[General]-I just used my sword. No need of the gas.

[CHE5TER]-The sword...?

Then He analyses the sword of the boy again, looking at the glowing part of it.

[CHE5TER]-...So that's why they are so afraid of the light? 'Cause they can get injured from it?

[General]-Huh? No, I mean that my sword is simply the cause of its injury. The light has nothing to do with it. It just has a bit of Histvorh on it to give this glowing effect, but Histvorh doesn't even affect them. Other sources of light might, but this...

[CHE5TER]-You made it yourself?

[General]-Yeah, why?

[CHE5TER]-How did you... create a harmful weapon?

[General]-It is a secret.

Sure annoyed CHE5TER that answer... But then He looks back at the demon and starts getting closer, though the boy seems to have some hesitation. It doesn't want to trust the creature at all. The ruler on the other hand gets on a knee, analysing the creature that is now scared from the boy, its eyes going back to normal.

He then puts His right arm on the creature's head, moving it slowly to see if He can get any reaction. And He gets. The creature simply gets even closer to the arm, like a cat reaching for pats. And which, of course, puzzles the stranger even more.

[General]-How did you... know that it is friendly?

[CHE5TER]-I met it before... I met it when I first arrived here. It told me its name as well.

[General]-Name?

[CHE5TER]-Yes. It called itself "Danny".

[General]-...It can speak?

[CHE5TER]-No... but it can write.

Even this boy didn't know this information. It simply stares at the friendly creature that just wants to get petted like an animal.

[CHE5TER]-...For some reason, it likes to be around people and get attention. But it feels like it wants to say something to me too. And maybe it has answers to some of my questions.

[General]-So that's why you didn't want it dead?

[CHE5TER]-Affirmative...

The outsider then tries to put its hand on the creature too, slowly, since it still doesn't trust it just yet. But when the creature notices it, it starts sniffing the boy, almost even seeming perplexed and causing it to sniff even more aggressively, but not in the aggressive way of attacking again, more like something for it not seeming right.

[General]-...To be honest now, I've never seen a creature this close in my whole life. I've killed some during my lifetime, but I've never stood to analyse them or even be friendly to them. And I've never imagined that they can be friendly too.

[CHE5TER]-Neither did I... Not until a few days ago, I simply thought that they are our enemies that we have to run from.

[General]-I wonder what it wants to say to you now, to be honest.

The Great Leader then makes a small pause. Sure, this creature attacked earlier and it seems as it still has its aggressive behaviour deep down, but something feels off, and He doesn't know what that is.

[CHE5TER]-...Yeah. Me too.