Dawn- An age of Darkness

By evening we'd traveled at least five days' worth of journey by foot. The birds were fast but they had to rest every half an hour or so. They couldn't maintain long flights. But even so, they were fast enough. 

"If we continued for an hour longer we'd have reached the border. But I don't think the birds will be able to fly anymore today," Dick said.

There was a forest behind us, so I couldn't really relax.

But I still tried to sound normal. "You sound like you've been here before." 

"Well," He ruffled his hair. "I came here first then went to Alfeim."

The birds all turned small and rested on our shoulders. I just hoped they wouldn't push on me. 

Servesta started to set up camp while Lianne and Alisa came towards us.

"How come you couldn't find it then?" If he had been there before then he had all the time in the world to search for the weapons.

"I didn't know back then." He chuckled. He seemed a little frustrated.

"What are we talking about?" Alisa asked.

Should I tell her? 

I looked at Dick. He shrugged his shoulder as if to say, 'go ahead.'

"One of the mystic weapons."

Alisa narrowed her eyes. "Why are you people so obsessed with them? There are so many better things than them. Don't you realize they'd only attract ill-wanted attention? Haven't you had enough trouble yet by having them?"

I knew she was right but how was I supposed to tell her everything? Actually, I still hadn't told much to her. Even Lianne didn't know the full scope of my fate until recently.

But even so, Lianne didn't question me. I was really glad to have met someone like that.

Alisa however, was almost like a nagging mother. My own mother wasn't like this though. So, I for once didn't feel like spilling any beans to her. 

"Why are you two looking at me like that?" Alisa looked back and forth between me and Dick. I guess we were staring at her a bit too much.

"You didn't tell her anything while she was with you huh?" I asked Dick.

"I didn't know you never told her anything. And she didn't let me get close to her. Besides, your bunny was standing guard to her quarters all the time."

As if we praised Biteria, she jumped from Lianne's shoulder to the ground and struck a victory pose. That was priceless. My heart almost melted.

But wait, since when did this cute monstrosity understand the human tongue?

I had a very bad feeling about this. 

  "Now that, that's out of the way-" Lianne glared at me. "You, with me! We're going hunting."

I gulped. I sighed. I was tired for no reason at all.

"Looks like we're going no meat again tonight," Dick mumbled. 

"Daarc's a pretty good hunter you know. Not as good as that brat elf but definitely good." Alisa tried to cover for me.

"Brat? You're calling Jowy a brat?"

I figured she meant that since the last time I went hunting with Jowy. Back then she was with us and pretended to be innocent.

Jowy was three hundred something, so I guess Alisa was older?

"Umm… no. I'm calling your friend over there brat. Any problem?" Alisa was talking about Lianne. 

"You realize she's older than you right?" I still had nightmares about it too. I did not want to think about it. 

"But I'm older than her." Alisa wasn't backing down. She didn't look a day over twelve. Maybe I could have considered thirteen but any more than that would have been suicide. I looked over at Lianne and she didn't even say a word.

You're confusing me. 

"Huh? But she's-"

"You do realize I was born before the gods ended up dead right?" Alisa tilted her head and blew my head. 

She silenced me. Come to think of it, the grand monster had to be alive and humanoid when stuff happened, otherwise Alisa would have been a monster too, right? 

Didn't the war of the gods occur thousands of years ago? 

My head started to spin. "Say no more. Lianne let us traverse these lands and hunt for life. Onwards!" I marched forward like there was no tomorrow. 

"Looks like he broke." 

"Yup."

***

I and Lianne went into the forest and came back with three storks. I had a wide grin plastered on my face. But it was to hide the utter horror I witnessed just moments ago when I learned how wrong I was about the world.

It was a good haul and dinner ended with us having plenty of meat. Biteria was rather happy too. But I didn't like the fact that she had sharp teeth now. If she willed, she'd have probably been able to chop up my fingers before I could even react. 

"By the way Alisa, you sure seemed to know a lot. Can you tell me how I can find a spirit? I have fractions of memories but they aren't organized. So I can't really focus or understand them." I didn't know much about how I could find a spirit. Besides, the more magic I could use the better it was going to be for me in the upcoming days.

But more importantly, I was just distracting my mind. 

"You'll have to impress a spirit first for it to show itself to you. An act of valor, courage, or perhaps even lust. There are all kinds of spirits after all. If you're compatible and they like what you showed, they'd happily form a contract with you." 

"I'm getting the feeling that last example falls under malicious spirits." Even spirits had tastes- I guess.

"I wouldn't go that route though. But you can probably find one or two spirits lurking in the pleasure districts of any town. As for normal spirits, you'd have to rely on luck. Every spirit has specific rules and conditions, but I suppose you'll have to first meet one to believe. "

"Doesn't sound all that convincing." And I sure wasn't convinced. 

"I-I didn't know there were pleasure districts in this world." Dick held my shoulders and breathed heavily.

Weren't you supposed to be traveling the world?

I stared at him blankly. 

"Let's go to one! We can get spirits, ghosts, or whatever and have fun too!" Dick whispered in a very enthusiastic voice. He seemed pretty convinced by this new premonition.

"Before trying anything funny, don't forget that you are the king of a country." Lianne reminded me of my kingly duties which I already erased from my mind. "And I've already sent a messenger to the capital, expect your royal ascension soon."

I'd almost forgotten about the whole Archduke thing. More and more trouble just kept piling up for no reason. In the end, I just felt like a political toy. 

"Unfortunately, I'm not dumb like him." And I certainly didn't have plans to go see weird stuff. But if Susan was right, then the pleasure districts were filled with demons. Of course, I didn't believe Susan one bit, but I couldn't just dismiss her words either. 

Biteria was sitting on my lap but she jumped off and ran away. I watched as she disappeared into the bushes.

"She's going hunting," Ven said.

"But didn't she just eat?"

"Did you forget she's an undead?"

"Half-"

"No, that one's a full undead." Ven remained firm on his stance.

"What! But she goes out in full daylight as well!" But I wasn't convinced.

"She can use shadow magic. She herself isn't aware that she's dead. However, don't let that bother you too much. She's still pretty much the same as when she was alive. Her greatest regrets and attachments kept her in this world."

"Is that even possible?" I muttered to myself. "Besides, I thought shadow magic was rarer than holy."

"Now, now let's not get too down." Dick wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "She's your bunny. It doesn't matter if she's dead." He flashed a smile. 

I got the feeling he was still clinging to me in the hopes of getting a ticket to the pleasure district. I'm afraid he'd have to go on alone on that route. Actually, he'd be fine. He had a handsome face and enough money. He'd have been fine.

"Just because something dies doesn't mean it's dead. As long as the soul remains the conscience stays," Ven explained. "And not all shadow magic are equal. Hers isn't rare."

"But how come typical undead come at us like they want to eat us?" Dick asked.

"Because they are under the illusion that eating live flesh would quench their thirst for revenge. It's a curse. A curse that rabbit has overwritten with its sheer will. You must have come under contact with at least one undead like her, haven't you?"

I looked at the ring and nodded. But Boriosa took a whole millennium to become sentient. But Biteria wasn't that old. 

Ven continued. "The undead was a fun project of Ashirnae which went horribly wrong. I understand your confusion, but if one has enough will, he can break free of the bonds of the curse."

Him again!

"I actually didn't know that," Alisa said.

"So everything was that damn god's fault!" I clenched my fist and grinded my teeth.

"Quick question. If you truly loved someone and she died what would you do?" Alisa asked. 

"I-I'd pray to god for revi-" I realized how naive I was. When Brenda died I almost begged the statue of the forest to do something, even if I knew it was impossible. "You don't mean?"

Ven sighed and continued. "Yes. The humans begged Ashirnae to return the dead. You see a great war had ravaged across generations a long time ago. These forests were the battlefields of old. Many soldiers lay here. But when Ashirnae failed his experiment, the dead did come back to life but at a greater cost than just death. They abandoned death and ran amok, cursing whoever brought them back to this world. And they suffered the same pain they felt before dying for every second they lived as punishment. They changed. They came to life but their flesh did not. The flesh started to rot and whoever died within that area from then on became one of them. And thus the forbidden age of necromancy was born. The age of Darkness began."

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