"How's their progress going along?" Shi Hon asked, with hands behind his back. He strolled down a grey corridor, which eventually grew brighter, with a few torches lighting up once he passed them.

Leiru's green and sharp hand held onto a stick, as he followed along, closing one eye.

"I haven't heard or seen much if I were to be completely honest," he continued, scratching his chin. "It's silent. Sometimes broken down by screams. They're not chasing anyone yet."

"Give them time, brother." Leiru shook his head, and Shi Hon's gaze from his half-turned head met his. "Sure the fools will do, and something strong might peek its head out."

"Peek its head out?" Shi Hon mused, chuckling under his breath. "I don't have to guess to know what that entails."

Leiru giggled in tandem, although his other hand landed behind his back.

The two found themselves in a massive chamber, with runes splattered around the walls, some with a red tint, others, etched in with a white shade following into darkness. Shi Hon crouched, overlooking one specific drawing.

A massive moon, shining over eight other stars, lined up perpendicularly to its alluring sparkle. The moon itself bore a grin. Not a sinister one, but rather, something of reassurance to itself.

Shi Hon took a step back. "Strength is subjective." he snapped his fingers twice. "Do you mean pure, physical power, or something that stems from the mind? Perhaps, magical?"

Leiru squinted his eyes, which also landed on the same glyph. Then, they drifted elsewhere, perhaps to the depiction of someone raising a weapon over a pitiful, bowed head. "None."

Shi Hon uttered. "Paint me interested."

"Paint." Leiru chuckled. "Mentioning that, are you responsible for all those scribbles?" he pointed around.

"I think I told you once." Shi Hon said. "In case I forget, I'll remind myself of my story."

Leiru squinted, turning his head right, left, back and forth. "Tales from the past, but I can't see anything of your present achievements. What about your future?" Leiru asked.

Shi Hon beamed. "There's another room elsewhere."

Leiru took a look back at the earlier drawing. He quickly brushed off his smirk, and Shi Hon started treading down the stairs.

"Thousands of stories are lost to time simply because no one was there to write them down. But I remembered." his voice echoed, and Leiru took a peek around the corner. "Leaves fall from trees in Dear and eventually disappear into Yule. They seem so small from up here. In reality, each one tells a different story." he glanced up at his friend. "Every living being has something to share. Every little pebble has its meaning."

Leiru walked down the stairs, now holding the stick in both hands. His eyes shifted towards a ruined arch atop a lump of rocks, right next to a pedestal and behind the background of the everpresent darkness covering most of the upper parts of the chamber.

Except for the stairs leading out, there was no other exit.

"Then, what meaning does this have?" Leiru asked, pointing down. The arch reflected a water-like substance. Shi Hon glanced at him.

"Do you know why I can't leave?" he asked.

Leiru squeezed his cane. "You told me a hundred years ago." he let out a small chuckle. "Back then we couldn't differentiate Paladians from Erans because of the armour they wore around you. Tying your wrists and legs to the walls." he gulped. "There were three obelisks, right?"

"Four, actually, but one was destroyed," he stated. "The first was right below Mount Aria, carried by waterfalls elsewhere and placed on a strange pedestal overlooking glorious sights. When humans found a way to overcome demons, they searched for my soul first." Shi Hon explained. "So, I made sure that their hunt wasn't as easy as they'd imagine."

Leiru raised his non-existent eyebrows.

"I created a temple, sacrificing a part of my heart to the Star Sun Cave. Temples, supposedly, keep demons immortal as long as they stand. Guess now that it's ruined, I can die much like any mortal."

"The second is the Wall of Life and Death." he put his hands on the sharp rocks. "It was built by another demon and a strong one at that. A demon that tried to desperately fight against its real desires, a thirst for blood." Shi Hon leaned closer. "Do you remember, Leiru?"

Leiru slowly nodded, scratching his head.

"I do." Shi Hon answered his own question. "Pretending to die in nought, he shielded his lover from learning the truth." Shi Hon slid his finger around. "He ran away, but with another goal in mind. Then, the wall simply appeared. He sacrificed his whole life to put a chain on my leg. One binding me to these mountains."

"I recall, but I can't remember his name," Leiru repeated, much like a chant. "His Guardian Demon-"

"Now belongs to a girl." Shi Hon muttered. "He threw it so far trying to kill you. Some rumour it landed in Harabara, unknowingly picked up and carried to the few runaways," he noted. "Handed over to blacksmiths, moved from town to town on yunduls or wolves." he closed his eyes. "I can't feel its demon anymore. Blood has given itself to the humans, living in the form of a weapon, latching onto them much like a sickness. Unknowingly becoming a part of them." he stepped back. "Some say you can't pass a Guardian Demon from one to another. They relentlessly lie."

Leiru breathed out.

"I'm sure that Haran will never know." Shi Hon explained. "It'd be as silent as the wind in Malikan."

"Blood never dies, brother." Leiru shook his head. "Barely dries."

"It's still flowing." Shi Hon furrowed his eyebrows as if massive waves of lava obscured his vision. "...and the third catalyst is something I can't tell even my sworn brother about. That's not what you're interested in either way, am I right?"

Leiru moved around, shuffling his hands around the stick. "I guess we started chatting about something different."

"Yes. A power doesn't come from strength or their minds." Shi Hon tapped his finger around. "But from a weapon." he smiled.

"I passed them what I fought with, back then." Leiru nodded. "The Ancient Bow."

"Do they know what is in their esteemed hands?"

"No, they don't. They'll use its power vigilantly, and perhaps for our benefit."

Shi Hon chuckled. "You can't expect a newborn to raise their hand and change the world, do you?" he asked, smirking.

"Trust everyone, Shi Hon," Leiru reassured. "They'll have the three in no time."

"I'm sure. Even if it isn't Ronpi and Katha, something else will bring them back to me." the smile kept tugging on his lips, forming something sinister. "From the words of humans, there's no such thing as a good demon. To me, personally, there's no good or bad. Just right and still right, but with a different shade in your eyes."

Leiru's eyes involuntarily landed on the arch once more. Taking one step closer, the translucent, watery barrier inside reflected an image of him, but not Shi Hon.

Leiru breathed out, looking down.

A few seconds passed. Expecting to face Shi Hon's reassuring smile or gaze that wandered into his, no one appeared by his right.

Instead, he met darkness.

Shi Hon wasn't there, nor was the sparkling gleam present, coming from the side. Leiru turned, as the arch had gone silent.

***

The dense waters didn't allow sunlight to come in. Instead, whoever was above, stared at themselves, in wonder.

"Good luck, Demonears," Koyote muttered, putting her hand on the rope.

Then, with a blink of Morio's weary eyes, the mentor standing right in front of the four disappeared.

Olala looked inside the pool on the other side of the fortress. Even better, she ducked down, trying to make out the shaking shapes inside, only met with a distorted view of her expression.

With a groan, Koyote stepped from the side, letting go of an object covered with a brown cloth almost stuck to her back. She breathed out, fixing her beige jacket. "Alright," she muttered to herself. "Five minutes." she stretched around, and Olala's gaze met her figure. "Seems like enough time."

"Enough time for what?" Olala shot up.

"Don't you know? The superbread. Fresh and hot as they sell it, sweet and refined, almost melting in your mouth." she raised her hands in mild excitement.

Olala scratched the back of her head. "You mean Amanda's Old Pastry?"

"Mhm,"

"I-Isn't that a little far?"

"Not for me." Koyote raised both eyebrows, for half a second. "Would you watch over them instead?" she stepped to the side. "Make sure they don't drown or something."

"Wait, what?" Olala walked over.

"Nothing can save them after those five minutes except you, and if something awful happens, you're to jump in and help out." Koyote trod over to the bridge. "Understood?"

"Huh?!" Olala's brow twitched. "But you're the one who-

"They're Demonears for a reason, Olala," Koyote said, holding the silver watch in her hand. "Self-... You get it."

"They're kids!" Olala pointed, but Koyote had already disappeared behind the corner. "Mrs Koyote?!" she followed for a few seconds, before hastily turning on her heel. A drop of sweat rolled down her angered forehead, as she peered at the blue surface, failing to penetrate its mirror-like shine.

Ingo thrashed around, trying to undo the chains that bound him. A school of fish swam by, a few landing inside the glassy chamber.

"I-Ingo, stop! That won't solve anything!" Genni commented.

"THEN WHAT ELSE WILL?!" Ingo yelled out, and Morio peeked his head out, before attempting to do more of the same.

"Stop, Morio!" Jyuzou announced, while his friend continued. "There has to be a-another way out!" he ground his teeth.

"Five minutes, Jyuzou!" Morio said. "Five minutes isn't enough to think!"

"You'll only wear yourselves out!" Genni raised her voice, and Morio finally stopped with a heavy gasp. Yet, Ingo kept trying to slide his fists or legs through the handcuffs. He breathed a heavy, shaky breath, squinting and pulling as hard as he could.

"It's a test of our strength, you morons!" Ingo added. "If you're not good enough to escape then you're not good enough to be a Demonear! Koyote said it herself, rip out the bloody chains!"

"Th-there must be something else to it," Jyuzou muttered, his tongue sliding around his lips. He turned to Morio, who clenched his jaw, and his fist.

He tried moving it through the handcuff, but the only thing that was accomplished was leaving a bloody tear which dripped a few drops into the water. Mentioning that latter liquid, it already reached their airborne feet, sinking them in an uncomfortable warmness.

After all, it was a rather hot day.

Koyote's thoughts mainly danced around the same notion. It was too hot to wear a hat, and too humid to spot a jacket. Nonetheless, she strolled through the streets, reaching the shopfront, even with some steam coming out from the top of the bakery.

From afar, the teasing and fantastical whiff of a polite sweetness would have led anyone to gander. Some believed that Amanda's Old Pastry was supplied by witches themselves, but in reality, superbread was made out of a mix of flour, crushed bamboo, yeast and a few of the sweeter potions, so nothing special there.

...mentioning potions, what are they? The name suggests looking back to the oldest witchtales, where the mystical creatures would turn their tears into a different hope of happiness. Locked in colourful vials, they threw the liquids to the ground, and the humans that found it tried replicating its taste and effects, crushing flowers and seeping different drops out. But, a quick look at Omer Narrows' business strategies in the streets reveals that some are more focused on selling lies.

Hopping around, Koyote managed to sneak first in line, and when the woman on the other end stuck her pastried hand out, she was, already, ready.

"Twenty pies." the woman uttered, blinking twice.

"Take twenty-five, save five for menn," Koyote muttered.

The woman was taken aback. "Well, that's..."

"I just don't have time to accept change. Got places to be."

"R-Right. Thank you." she bowed, stuffing the freshly baked bread into a paper bag, wrapping it with a red bow and handing it to Koyote, who had already begun making her way towards the fortress steadily, only sometimes taking a whiff.

"Three minutes and twenty-eight seconds." Koyote thought, stuffing the bag under her armpit, with the other hand landing into her pocket. "Good enough."

She followed a few signs or branches and walked through cramped or quiet streets, noting through her sprint the various shops, and a few citizens she often spotted, mixing up the paths and finding herself a few blocks away from the main road eventually leading towards the gates.

It was rather quiet. Spare the few water drops or the nearby canal. Mentioning that, she closed her eyes, trying to locate its sounds. Canals always meant main streets. Putting one hand on the wall, she followed through, until she was to cross into another street, passing by a few stone buildings.

Koyote turned, looking at something in the distance, first allured by a strange chant echoing in the distance.

"Ham ten nu." voices were heard, weaving together and turning into a strange harmony. Her eyes met white-robed people, all guarding someone else, who lay on the ground, in a fetal position.

She squinted her eyes, taking a step back.

"Sab tu ya. Khan khali. Uduiaa." one opened their mouth, looking up at the sky, stretching both hands. The other members reached their fingers towards theirs, and the few next vowels were quieter.

The one on the ground trembled. Their face was covered with cloth, but strange markings could be seen splattered around the dried-out blood.

The song itself was rather ominous but strangely uplifting.

"Swannes." she thought, moving back into the other street and breathing out.