Blue

by Silenta-Atestanto

The history of our world is a simple one. The Overlord emerges to terrorize mankind. Then, a Hero emerges to slay him. So the cycle went, until one day it was broken, when a succubus claimed the mantle, seduced the Hero sent to slay her, and created the stalemate of today. But history is rarely ever so straightforward. I should know. I saw the events that would unfold for myself.

6. Chapter 6: Demi-Human

Chapter 6: Demi-Human

"Roiling fire within the earth, unleash unto my enemy the fury of Hell: Incinerate!"

A massive sphere of flame shot from the hand of the red-haired mage across from the young man. He quickly held up his arms and chanted, "Come forth, unyielding aegis: Barrier!" A hexagon of light appeared in front of the young man. But when the ball of fire struck the hexagon, it exploded, shattering the young man's shield like glass and knocking him to the ground.

The young man's ears rang as he staggered to his feet, but his opponent was already preparing his next attack. "O darkening cloud, loose thy blade and run mine enemies through: Thunder Lance!" As the red-haired man spoke, dark clouds formed, rolling in the air above him. As he brought down his hand, there was a deafening thunderclap, and the earth shook.

But when the young man opened his eyes, he saw a woman with flowing dark blue hair and long, pointed ears standing in front of him. Electrical energy arced across her body, but it didn't seem to affect her at all. She pointed into the sky- there was a second clap of thunder as the electricity raced up her arm and shot into the sky, briefly lighting the practice field with a pale blue light that outshone the sun before it faded.

She turned her attention to the man across the practice field from her, and said sternly, "That's quite enough, Mr. Rudolf."

At once, the students watching went into an uproar: "Aw… I wanted to see the creep get roasted…"

"I can't believe Miss Granat redirected that spell on her own. Guess that's an elf for you."

"Incinerate and Thunder Lance? Aren't fourth-tier spells like that overkill for a test like this?"

"Hey, if he can't protect himself, that's his own fault…"

"Mr. Rudolf," the long-eared woman began, folding her arms across her chest, "while I'm sure you're quite eager to demonstrate your mastery of fourth-tier spells, you should be more mindful of where you use them. They are quite powerful, and casting them heedlessly will endanger those around you. As for you, Mr. Konstantin…"

She turned, and looked down at the young man, her eyes hidden by the reflection of her glasses. "…It would have been more prudent to cast a higher-tier defensive spell, or one meant specifically for elemental defense, such as Force Field, or Red Wall."

Konstantin didn't reply as he climbed to his feet. It wasn't that he didn't know any other defensive spells. It was that Barrier was the only defensive spell he could cast safely. The others overtaxed his mana reserves far too much- attempting to cast them would have done him more harm than just letting his opponent's spell hit him.

The long-eared woman looked to the rest of the students lined up along the edge of the field. "We should have enough time for one more session today. The next pair, please take your positions." As the young man and his opponent left the field, and two students stepped forward to replace them, she called out, "And Mr. Konstantin, I would like to speak with you after today's practical is finished." Speculation erupted among the students, but it lasted only a few moments before it was quickly silenced by a withering glare from the long-eared woman.

As the academy specialized in magical instruction, it was inevitable that students would need to demonstrate their skill for evaluation. And it was these days Konstantin dreaded above all others. Any other time, he could meld into the crowd and be easily overlooked- but on practical days, his lack of prowess was on full display, much to his classmates' derision. Even though the practical instructor, Miss Granat, was quick to silence extraneous chatter, he made sure to give his classmates a wide berth as the next pair of students began their duel.

Finally, the day's practical examination was over, and the students were dismissed. All except one.

The young man stepped forward. "You wished to see me, Miss Granat?" Konstantin was very used to being asked to stay behind by the professors. However, it was never because they had anything positive to say to him. He doubted this time would be any different.

The long-eared woman turned to him. "Mr. Konstantin…" she began. "I'm certain you're well aware of your… difficulties in the academy's practical demonstrations. So I won't waste your time repeating something you've heard many times already. However, the dean has recently approached me to express concerns that your continued enrollment may bring… discredit to the academy. And, he is not the only person to come to this conclusion."

Konstantin looked up at the elf. "Are you asking me to withdraw?"

"No. At least, not yet. But the dean has issued an ultimatum: you are to improve your magical skill by the end of the month, or you will be asked to leave the academy." Ms. Granat adjusted her glasses. "That is not the only reason I wished to speak with you, however. In light of the dean's ultimatum, I believe it would be wise for you to take on supplemental instruction. I will not lie- it will be exceptionally difficult. But I believe I can raise you to an acceptable level."

The end of the month? That was in just over a week! And he was supposed to improve his skills to be on par with his classmates by then? Miss Granat was wrong. This wouldn't be difficult- it was impossible. All the supplemental lessons she could give him wouldn't change that. He would have better luck trying to squeeze water out of a stone.

Konstantin hesitated to respond for several moments. "I… I need time to think. Can I… consider my options and come back to you later?"

Ms. Granat folded her arms across her chest. "You may. But do not delay in giving your answer. Your future will not wait for you."

Konstantin took his leave, crossing the school as he returned to the dormitories. His head swam, his mind not fully accepting the news he'd been given. Withdraw? After all his studies? Sure, his practical skill was lacking, but when it came to theory, the more abstract segments of instruction, he was… well, he couldn't say second to none, because he was third in the class. But still! Third was no small feat.

But as one of his other instructors had once said, knowledge was useless, without the power or the will to use it. And gods knew that he was lacking when it came to power.

Maybe… he should withdraw before the deadline, and spare himself the humiliation. It seemed that was what everyone else wanted, anyway. And with the dean laying out an insurmountable task before him, the decision was practically already made.

Before Konstantin realized, he was in front of the door to his personal chamber. As he stepped inside, wondering if it would be too presumptive to start packing up his belongings, he was greeted by the sight of a book bound in black leather resting on the center of his bed.

Konstantin's stomach clenched the moment his eyes fell on it. Already, he could feel it pulling on him, as if invisible hooks had been put under his skin, eagerly awaiting the moment when it would be in his hands. But he remembered the vision he saw when he first touched it, of the horned figure wreathed in flame. The book was an evil thing. Every part of him told him as much- his gut, his mind… he could feel it in his very bones. Some primal part of his being told him that he should drop the book in a cistern and pretend he'd never found it.

But…

If it was here, then… it sought him out.

And… where else could he turn? Certainly not to his fellow students. And his instructors would be no help, either. Even Ms. Granat could only do so much. Studying all the spells in the world would do him no good without the mana to cast them. But…

This book…

Could it have an answer for him? For all the ominous feelings it gave him, in the end, it was just a book… wasn't it?

…well, there was only one way to know for sure.

Konstantin ignored the churning in his stomach as he crossed the room, ignored the prickling sensation beneath his skin as he reached for the book. He saw nothing in his mind's eye when his fingers touched its cover, but it felt strangely… warm in his hands, as though someone had just been holding it.

Almost as if it were a living thing.

Konstantin tried to swallow, but his mouth had suddenly dried out. He was… shaking. But the book… it seemed to revel from his touch- he swore that he felt it shudder in his hands, tugging at him with its invisible threads, impelling him to open it.

And that was precisely what Konstantin did. He opened the cover, and looked down at the first page.

But there were no words written within. Merely a chart of some sort, depicting dots connected by thin lines, labeled by strange letters he couldn't identify. Was it some kind of star map? But before he could identify them, the markings began to move of its own accord, slithering across the page like snakes. They converged, forming a sigil that flashed a brilliant light…

Then Konstantin felt himself falling.

The sensation was short-lived. Konstantin's knees buckled and he fell onto a hard and unforgiving stone floor. He looked around, but saw nothing but black. Terror welled up within, and he feared that the flash from the sigil had blinded him. But after a few moments, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He was no longer in his quarters, but a massive hall built of dark stone, with a ceiling that reached so far above him, he could not see it. But what struck him was… the cold. Even in summer, his homeland was a cold place, but the chill of wherever he was now tore through him, piercing through him like a lance, seeping into his skin and draining the very warmth from his body.

Then, a tremendously deep voice spoke from behind, saying. "At last, we meet face-to-face."

Konstantin whirled around. Before him was a massive dark throne, upon which sat an equally massive figure. The throne's occupant, much like the rest of the hall, was completely veiled in shadow, with only its eyes visible- a deep, burning red, as if they contained the very flames of Hell itself behind them.

The dark shadow leaned forward, as if to have a better look at the tiny man before it. "Welcome, Stolas Konstantin Durnehviir," it said, its voice like two great stones grinding against one another. "I have been expecting you."

---

With an angry snarl, a bestial figure lunged at Holly, it's curved sword drawn back for a powerful swing. Though the figure stood on two legs, that was the only feature it had in common with humans, having far more in common with lizards than men: its face was stretched into a short, blunt snout, it's mouth lined by a row of razor-sharp fangs; its whole body was covered with a layer of green scales; its hands and feet had only three digits, all ending with a black, pointed talons; and a thick tail dragged on the ground behind it. But the mercenary stood undaunted, her shield raised. A tremendous clang rang out as the lizardman struck Holly's shield, causing both to stumble back. Holly fell on her rear, but the lizardman regained its footing, before lunging at her with its sword drawn back.

But Holly reached down, scooping up sand with her shield before throwing it at the lizardman in a wide arc. It screeched and stumbled back, rubbing its eyes, but before it could recover, she got to her feet and charged with her shield raised, ramming into the beastman and knocking it over. Before it could rise, she pulled her arm back and struck the side of its head with the edge of her shield, causing it to instantly fall limp and motionless.

"Abel, focus!" Niel shouted. Abel jolted, and looked ahead, just in time to see another lizardman swinging its sword at him. Time slowed as Abel desperately tried to raise his blade in defense.

Sparks flew as Abel's sword collided with the lizardman's scimitar, just barely diverting it away. The blow made him stumble back, however, and before he could steady himself, something wrapped around his ankle. Abel looked down- a scaly green appendage had seized him, before his foot was yanked from under him. Abel fell back and hit the ground hard. Instantly, the lizardman pounced at him, sword raised for a downward swing. Abel pushed himself back, his feet slipping on the sandy ground, only just sliding out of the lizardman's reach. Instinctively, he pointed his free hand at the beast. " Angel- "

But suddenly, an invisible force turned his hand away from the lizardman, the gout of white flames shooting out over empty ground. "I told you no magic for this one!" the angel said harshly.

Abel scrambled to his feet. But the lizardman had fallen back, likely deterred by the white flames. So, he pressed the attack, charging while drawing back his blade. Once he was in range, he swung with all his might, flinching as he tried to anticipate the shock of metal cutting into flesh.

Clang.

A violet jolt raced up Abel's arms, and he stumbled back, his sword flying from his hands. What just happened? He'd closed his eyes at the moment of impact, so he hadn't actually seen. But as he reopened them, the world moving at a snail's pace, he saw the lizardman midway through an upward swing. It must have deflected his strike somehow. And now that he was wide open, the lizardman lunged forward, arm drawn back…

But a blue and silver blur slammed into the lizardman from the side, knocking it to the ground. Before it could rise, Lailah stomped on its back, pinning it to the ground. The lizardman screeched in rage, thrashing wildly, until the priestess thrust her spear into its neck, silencing it. She looked to Abel, with blank, empty eyes, drawing her arm back… before she blinked, as if suddenly recognizing him. "Abel? Are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"I… I'm fine," he stammered in reply. It had been quite some time since he'd seen the priestess in battle. He forgot just how ferocious she could be.

A crackling sound drew Abel's attention. He looked, to see Raine tracing a pattern in the air with her right hand, leaving behind glowing red lines that seemed to hang in the air as if drawn on a window- the pattern she drew hung in the air for a moment, before condensing into a fireball that shot into the distance. She must have missed whenever she was aiming at, though, because he heard her mutter, "Ah… damn!"

Holly stumbled up to Abel and Lailah, out of breath, followed by Raine. "Was that… the last one?" the mercenary asked.

"Nah, we got a stray, but they took off running," the witch replied. "Should we go after 'em?"

Lailah looked at Raine. "What happened to you?"

She glanced down at herself- blood was flowing down her left arm from a large scratch by her shoulder. "Scaly bastard got lucky and nicked me, that's all. I'll be fine. I've had worse."

"We're not going anywhere until Abel does something about that," the priestess replied. Abel didn't wait to be prompted- he held out his hand, envisioned Lailah's smile, and Raine was bathed in a brilliant white light.

"Haah…" she sighed. "Thanks, Blue. I know some people like it, but I don't have the muscles to pull off the 'scar-covered warrior' look."

Before Abel could reply, Niel emerged, glaring, her hands on her hips. "What happened just now? It was obvious that lizardman was about to parry. I told you to watch your enemy's movements."

"I know…" he replied, the light from his hand fading. "I'm sorry. I just… I got nervous and-"

Niel's eyes narrowed. "You closed your eyes again, didn't you?" The angel drew closer. "I already told you- you have to keep them open. How can you possibly protect yourself from something you can't see?"

"Come on, Parrot, cut him some slack. You know Blue's not used to this," Raine cut in. "Shouldn't he start by learning proper technique? By like, you know… swinging his sword at logs or something?"

"We don't have time for that," the angel replied. "To be honest, I should've started training him sooner. I thought with the Overlord's return, there would've been more monsters for him to fight on the road to Lohan."

"You've been helping Abel fight so far, right Miss Niel?" Holly asked. "Why not just keep doing that?"

"There might be situations like yesterday where we're separated. If that happens, Abel needs to be able to fight without needing me to direct him." Her gaze returned to Abel. "Besides, the point of this journey is for Abel to become strong enough to face the Overlord on his own. Me helping him the whole time defeats the purpose of that, don't you think?"

"I understand your reasons, Your Grace…" Lailah said. "But… lizardmen can be challenging opponents even for experienced hunters. Wouldn't it be better to train Abel by having him fight an easier mark?"

"Yeah. Like… slimes," Holly suggested. "I fought some when I first left Vulkan. Even I could beat them."

"I like the way Jugs thinks. I mean, every adventurer starts out by beating up slimes, right?" Raine added.

After a moment of silence, the angel replied, "…Well, we should have killed enough lizardmen to satisfy the bill. Let's gather up their tails and bring them back to the Guild. We'll see if they have a billet for a less challenging hunt when we get back."

Morning came and went, but there was no sign of the Crusader that was supposed to escort them to the Archbishop. So in order to fill time in a productive way, Niel suggested that the group leave the city, and gain experience with fighting monsters. After visiting the local Fighter's Guild, the angel found a monster extermination order she felt would provide the perfect opportunity for Abel and the others to hone their skills. So, they set out into the dusty hills just south of the city, searching for a roving group of lizardmen that had been attacking travelers and smaller outlying villages.

The group spread out, cutting the tails from the fallen lizardmen. Holly held up one of the tails- it squirmed slightly in her grasp, black blood leaking from it. " Eugh , they're still moving… why does the Guild need us to bring these tails to them, anyway?"

"They're proof that we completed the billet," Lailah explained. "For the Fighters' Guild, it's not enough for a member to just say they finished an assignment- they also need to bring back evidence. That policy is one of the reasons the Guild has such a strong reputation."

"Not to mention the Guild can sell the monster parts their members collect, either as-is, or after processing them into useful materials," Raine added. "Gotta pay off those bounties somehow."

After a solid swing of his sword, Abel severed one of the dead lizardman's tails. "So… what would lizardman tails be good for?"

"Leather, mostly," Lailah replied, severing a tail of her own. "Lizardman hides are said to make leather that's more flexible and more resilient than ordinary leather…"

Once their grim task was done, the group returned to the main road and began heading towards Lohan's main gates. "I can't believe monsters would come so close to the city," Holly said.

"The emergence of a new Overlord awakens some kind of instinct in monsters," Niel said as she fluttered next to the mercenary and the priestess. "They're driven to seek out and attack places with large human populations."

"How do the monsters know a new Overlord's been chosen anyway?" the mercenary asked.

"Most Order scholars believe all monsters have a telepathic link with the Overlord, even if only a weak one," Lailah replied. "It's why they're able to recognize him and obey his orders without question, even from hundreds of thousands of stadia away…"

Abel trailed behind the others, only vaguely listening to the conversation. Something had been on his mind from practically the moment he woke up. He knew he'd have to bring it up with the others at some point, but he wasn't quite sure how to broach-

His thoughts were interrupted when an arm was thrown over his shoulder. "Hey, Blue," Raine began. "You hung up on what Parrot told you? Don't stress about it too much- you'll get it eventually."

He tried not to jump at the witch being so close to him. "What… makes you think I'm stressed?"

"You get these little indents in-between your eyebrows whenever you're worried about something. Right here. " She reached up and touched the spot with her finger, making Abel flush away with her touch. "You do it all the time. So… What's on your mind?"

"I, uh…" Abel struggled to find the words under Raine's expectant gaze. "…I…"

The witch grinned. "I know what that stammering means. You're madly, desperately in love with someone, and trying to figure out the right way to tell them! So who is it? Is it the Sister. Tell me it's the Sister. I've got money riding on this, y'know!"

"It's not that!" Abel replied quickly. "I… found something sitting on my bed. I don't know what to make of it, but I'm sure it wasn't there the night before." He reached into his trouser pockets and held out the object for Raine to see.

It was a small paper card, with the image of a glaring skull drawn on its front.

Raine took the card and inspected it. Her eyes almost instantly shot open. At that moment, Abel realized that the witch's eyes were different colors- her right eye was yellow, but her left was a vibrant blue.

Then, she slowly turned back to Abel. "Abel…" she began, her voice an octave lower, her tone deathly serious. "…do you know what this is?"

"Uh… no," Abel replied nervously. "…Should I?"

She suddenly grabbed Abel's shoulders, shaking him hard. "Why didn't you say something earlier!? That… you- ghhhh , I can't believe how clueless you are!" She wheeled around to the front of the group. "Everyone stop and look through your stuff! Give a shout out if you notice something's missing!"

Both Lailah and Holly stumbled to a halt. "Huh?" The mercenary asked. "Why?"

Raine put her hands on her hips. "It seems the Ghost of Lohan swung by the inn for a late-night visit last night." She then jerked a thumb in Abel's direction. "And a certain someone didn't think it was important to mention that until just now."

At the mention of the Ghost, Holly and Lailah dropped their packs and searched through their share of supplies, while Raine and Abel checked their own stock. But, it appeared nothing was missing. Even their money was untouched. After showing the others the card and explaining what it meant, Raine insisted on checking their supplies again, but again, everything appeared to be in order.

"So, from what you told us," Lailah began, looking down at the card in her hand. "The Ghost of Lohan leaves behind cards like this one wherever he strikes." She looked to Abel. "And he left a card on Abel's bed. So he was at the inn last night." Her gaze turned back to the card. "But even though he was at the inn, he… didn't take anything?"

"Well, it's rare…" Raine began, "but this has happened a few times before. The Ghost sometimes breaks into a place- usually somewhere famous for its security- but doesn't steal anything. He just leaves a card behind as proof that he was there."

The priestess's brow furrowed. "But why? Just to prove that he can break in?"

"Maybe… it's because of Abel's meeting with Mr. Vargo," Holly replied.

"That… would make sense, actually," the angel said, landing on Lailah's shoulder.

"I don't get it…" Abel began. "If the Ghost knows I'm working with Mr. Vargo, why didn't he just… kill me while I was sleeping?"

Raine touched her chin with her hand. "Killing you probably would save him a lot of headaches…" she responded. "But leaving his calling card in your bed sends a much more powerful message. It says, 'I know who you are, and I can come for you anytime I want.'"

"Hold on," Holly began. "I thought you said the Ghost doesn't strike two nights in a row, Raine. But if he was at the inn…"

Raine folded her arms over her chest. "Well, he probably didn't expect Mr. Vargo to bring Blue into this. Maybe the Ghost is trying to shake things up, too. Make himself harder to predict."

Lailah looked Abel's way. "Abel, I'm going to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me," she said. "Did you meet anyone suspicious yesterday while we were all separated?"

Abel's brow furrowed. Only one person came to mind, but even so, he asked, "Suspicious how?"

"The Ghost has been watching you. At the very least, since your meeting with Mr. Vargo. But it's possible you might have run into him before that without realizing it." Lailah put her hands on Abel's shoulders. "Think, Abel. Did you meet anyone who seemed… unusually interested in who you were? Or why you came to Lohan?"

Again, only one person came to mind: the brown-haired girl. But, she made it clear she wanted nothing to do with Abel.

But then again… what if that had merely been an act? What if the whole encounter had been staged, and she'd just been pretending to be helpless so he would reveal himself? And even though everyone referred to the Ghost as if he was a male, they did wear a disguise- it was entirely possible that the Ghost was actually a girl. And even if the brown-haired girl wasn't the Ghost, she might have been some sort of informant for him. Or, she could have said something to someone else that was an informant, or the Ghost or one of their accomplices might have happened to overhear her talking about him, or…

…No, no. He was overthinking things. The girl was just that- a girl. Even if she knew he was a Hero, there's no way she could have known Mr. Vargo would recruit him to help capture the Ghost ahead of time. The Ghost must have already been watching Vargo's villa and happened to see him there. It was more reasonable than the girl following him around for the whole day for essentially no reason at all.

After these attempts to reassure himself, Abel eventually replied, "…no. Nobody I met yesterday really stands out to me."

Lailah looked Abel over for several long moments, before finally letting go of his shoulders. "…Alright then." She looked to the others. "For now, let's continue our day and pretend this whole conversation never happened. If the Ghost is watching us, we can't give him any signs that we're onto him." She looked to Niel in particular. "Your Grace, would you follow us at a distance and keep an eye out for any suspicious characters?"

The angel stood and stretched, her wings fanning out. "Sure, sure. Just let me get some altitude."

---

The rest of the day passed. Abel tried to keep his attention on the matters at hand, but what Lailah said… unnerved him. The possibility that someone could have been watching him from the moment he set foot in the city… and with so many people, blending in would be trivial. The thought of that unnerved Abel so much that it nearly caused him to be engulfed by one of the black, tarlike slimes the group hunted as part of their next extermination bill. Fortunately, Raine's fire magic proved to be highly effective against the viscous creatures- sadly, it could do little to protect him from Niel's ire afterward.

With still no sign of the Archbishop's envoy by sunset, the group returned to the inn for the night. When Abel awoke the next morning, it was to the sight of Niel sitting on his bed's headboard, watching the room. "Niel," he said as he sat up. "…did you stay up all night?"

"I'll be fine. I don't need to sleep like you guys do." She stood. "Anyway, you'll be glad to hear that you didn't have any night visitors. Now hurry up and get dressed. It sounds like everyone else is already awake."

Abel quickly dressed himself and left the inn, where the others were already awake and waiting for him. "Morning," he said. "Sorry to keep you waiting. So, what's the plan for today? Should we head over to the Fighters' Guild again?"

"I don't see why not," Lailah replied. "There isn't much else we can do while we wait for the Archbishop to reach out to us."

As they walked down the thoroughfare toward the guild hall, Abel looked to the angel sitting on his shoulder. "Hey, Niel? Can I ask you something?"

She replied with a question of her own: "What would you do if I said no?"

Abel hesitated, looking away as he tried to form a reply, until Niel said, "Just ask. I'm supposed to guide and counsel you in your quest, remember?"

"Can you… teach me how to fly?"

The angel looked up at Abel, surprised. "Where'd that come from? I mean, it's not a bad idea, now that you've mentioned it, but…" She suddenly narrowed her eyes at him. "You aren't thinking of trying to do something dumb, are you?"

Abel felt his face redden. "No, I… When we were all separated, I… tried flying on my own," he confessed. "I… it didn't go very well. I couldn't even move."

She folded her arms over her chest and turned away. "Figures. You're only asking for help because you already tried it on your own and couldn't figure it out. Hmph." She was silent for several moments. Abel was certain the angel would decline his request, until she continued, "…I'll need some time to prepare lessons for you. I might even need to return to the heavens for a while to ask for advice-"

"You there! With the blue hair!" a sharp female voice called over the clamor. Abel froze in his tracks, as did the others, as the air filled with the sound of clanking footsteps. Approaching through the quickly-parting crowd was a woman with short, light-brown hair, clad in heavy silver armor that greatly resembled Lailah's. The armorclad woman stopped before the group, eyeing its sole male. "I assume you must be Abel."

Lailah stepped forward. "And you must be the Crusader the Archbishop sent to escort us. My name is-"

"Hmph." The Crusader barely acknowledged Lailah's words as she looked Abel up and down. "The report from Sister Superior Alexei didn't paint a very flattering portrait, but I must say, you're somehow even less impressive in person."

" Hey! " Niel stood up on Abel's shoulder before fluttering up to the armored woman. "Regardless of your personal feelings, Abel is still a Hero, and you will show him respect!"

The Crusader was unfazed by the angel's heated words. "And you must be the attendant she mentioned. The gods must not have much confidence in him if they sent an angel to aid him directly." Her attention shifted to Lailah and the others. "At least a few of your companions seem somewhat competent."

"Hey if you wanna insult us, do it on your own time," Raine snapped. "Don't you have a job to be doing right now?"

The Crusader narrowed her amber eyes at Raine, before replying, "…Indeed. We should not keep the Archbishop waiting."

The Crusader marched swiftly through Lohan's streets. The crowds parted at her approach, allowing Abel and his companions to follow after her with ease. As they followed, Abel heard the woman mutter to herself, "'Flying on wings of light…' what nonsense."

Her words did not escape the others' notice. "Why's that so hard to believe?" Raine asked. "Isn't your whole Church based on faith?"

"Hokes is a rural parish. And country folk tend to describe things as far grander than they truly are," the Crusader said coldly. "Hills turn into mountains, wolves turn into lions, and snakes turn into dragons. And in any case, faith is for the gods. I judge men by what I can see." She glanced back at Abel one last time. "…And I for one don't see any wings."

Despite the crowds, and the fact they had been going in the opposite direction at first, Abel and the others reached the foot of the cathedral in seemingly no time at all. Even from the brief glimpse he'd had days before, Abel could tell the Pioneer's Cathedral was a grand structure, but up close, he could more readily appreciate its finer details. The entire exterior seemed to be covered with carvings, depicting armed men and women, both with and without wings, doing battle with all manner of terrible creatures. Its windows were filled with colored glass, depicting similar scenes. And its spire, which towered over the city, stretched so far overhead that it appeared as though the sky were balanced on its tip. How many people had it taken to build just the side facing toward them, he wondered. And how long had it taken?

"The Archbishop is waiting for you by the altar," the Crusader said, snapping Abel back to reality. "I would ask that you remain at a respectful distance from her at all times." Then she parted ways with the group, without a word of farewell or even so much as a look back.

Raine immediately sat down on the steps leading up to the cathedral's front doors. "Well, you go on ahead and do… whatever you came here to do. I'll wait for you out here."

Abel stopped. "What? Why?"

She looked back at him. She was smiling, but it wasn't a happy smile. "Sorry Blue, I'm just not much of a churchy girl."

"No surprise there," Niel said. "She'd probably burst into flames as soon as she tried crossing the threshold."

"Let's… just see the Archbishop," Abel cut in before things became more heated, climbing the steps past Raine. He pressed his hands against the doors, and after several moments of pushing, they slowly creaked open, and he stepped inside. The interior of the cathedral was every bit as grandiose as its exterior suggested. Before the group, row after row of wooden benches spanned the entire length of the interior, divided in half by a long aisle. The ceiling stretched so far above their heads that it was practically a second sky, decorated by paintings of golden figures looking down at them as they sat upon seats made of clouds. But despite the cathedral's size, there wasn't a torch in sight- the light streaming in from the colored windows was more than enough to drive away any shadows.

But it was what lay directly across from Abel that drew his attention. A tall statue of white stone stood at the far end of the cathedral, carved to resemble a winged, stern-faced woman, a set of scales in one hand, a sword in the other. In front of it stood an altar, upon which an ornate box rested, and before that knelt a woman dressed in black. The cathedral was otherwise seeming empty- that had to be the Archbishop.

As Abel and the others neared, the woman stood and turned to face them. She was clad in black robes similar to Sister Alexei's, but with golden accents rather than white. Her hair too was gold- not a pure gold like Lailah's but paler, just barely touching her shoulders. But strangest of all was that she wore a silver mask that hid her eyes. The mask was covered in ornate carvings that resembled vines, but had no holes for her eyes- yet Abel could still feel the woman's gaze upon him all the same. "Welcome to Lohan, Lord Abel," she said with a faint smile. "I am glad to finally meet you in person."

Abel almost asked how she knew his name, until he remembered- Sister Alexei had sent a letter ahead of him. Of course she would have been expecting him.

The priestess in black rested a hand on her chest. "Ah, but please excuse my poor manners. I am Sister Beatrix, head of the Lohan diocese and Archbishop of the Kingdom of Istar." Abel couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The Archbishop seemed far more cordial than his escort, at least. Sister Beatrix then clasped her hands at her waist. "But further pleasantries can wait. I understand that you have come bearing a message."

Right. That was his objective. With everything that happened on the way, he'd nearly forgotten why he'd been sent to Lohan in the first place.

Abel nodded. "Yes. The Overlord has returned."

The faint smile on the Archbishop's lips vanished. "I would ask that you repeat the message that you received, as you heard it from the mouth of Lord Hermes," she said bluntly.

"Uh… Klaatu Barada Nikto." Even now, the words still made Abel's mouth tingle.

Sister Beatrix touched her hand with her chin. "Then, it is as we feared. A new Overlord has indeed emerged."

Abel leaned toward Lailah. "What was that about just now?" he whispered.

Lailah explained in a hushed voice, "Church procedures have always been surrounded by a lot of ceremony and ritual. In its early days, many in the Church didn't know how to read or write, so these ceremonies were made as a way to keep the teachings alive in their memory."

"Well said, apprentice Lailah," Sister Beatrix said. "But I'm certain Lord Abel hasn't come all this way for a lesson in history." She turned, facing the ornate box resting on the altar. "Now that your message has been received, it is time I bestow you with your Relic."

"What, already?" Holly asked. "Isn't there supposed to be a big ceremony when a Hero receives a Relic?"

"Normally, yes," the Archbishop replied. "But you are no doubt aware of the… extraneous circumstances our city faces now. The traditional ceremony would be too tempting of a target for the Ghost of Lohan to ignore. Even with our garrison, we cannot guarantee that he would not steal a Relic."

So even the Archbishop was concerned about the Ghost. But a question had been burning in his mind ever since Sister Alexei laid out his course for the future, and seeing an opportunity, Abel stepped forward. "What… what exactly is a Relic?"

Sister Beatrix retrieved the box from the altar. "Relics are artifacts blessed by the gods to grant holy power to their bearers. One of the Order's duties is to safeguard them, and to bestow them upon Heroes in need of their power."

Abel couldn't help but get excited upon hearing that. That sounded promising. What sort of Relic would Sister Beatrix give him? A magic sword? Some sort of blessed armor?

The Archbishop stepped down from the dais, stopping in front of Abel, box in hand. "By the power vested in me by the Order of the Chief God, in the name of the Celestial Master, Lord Ilias, I grant you this Relic." She then reached across the lid, and opened it

Inside the reliquary, resting upon a cushion of red velvet, was… a golden, teardrop-shaped pendant, attached to a necklace of silver chain links. Abel looked down at it, uncertain of what to do or say, until the Archbishop urged him on. "By all means. Take it, Lord Abel. It is yours to carry now."

Abel reached into the reliquary, his fingers wrapping around the silver chain, and lifted up the necklace. It certainly wasn't a sword, but perhaps it gave some kind of protection to its wearer? "What… is this?" he asked.

"The Order knows this Relic as Ariadne's Amulet," the Archbishop replied. "It is imbued with the power to help its wearer find whatever they seek; simply think of whatever it is you wish to find, and the amulet will guide you."

Find whatever he was looking for? Well, Abel needed to find the Ghost of Lohan, so-

As soon as the thought came to mind, the pendant shot up and seemed to hover in the air, pointing off to his left. It tugged vigorously at the chain clutched in his hand, as if it were attempting to fly all the way to the Ghost on its own. Holly gasped at seeing the pendant move of its own accord; if anyone else had been surprised, they did a better job of hiding it. The faint smile returned to Sister Beatrix's lips. "Good to see that it still works."

Abel looked down at the pendant, still pointing to wherever the Ghost was at the moment. Was… this all? Ariadne's Amulet didn't do anything else? Something like that would be useful, sure- he'd never get lost, for one, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't hoping to receive a Relic with more… impressive powers.

Beatrix set the reliquary aside. "You seem disappointed, Lord Abel."

Abel began stammering. How could she tell that? Was her mask a Relic as well, granting her insight to his thoughts? "N-No! Not at all, Archbishop, really! I'm… grateful…"

The Archbishop's faint smile faded again. "Know that this too is part of your trials. Just as a tree does not sprout from its seed fully grown, so too must a Hero grow into their role. It can be difficult, yes- even painful. But it is a necessary pain all the same."

Abel didn't reply. He couldn't- any argument he could have made would have no leg to stand on. After all, the old stories always had the hero embark on a long journey to gain the strength needed to vanquish their opponent.

"I will begin making arrangements to book passage to Lescatie for you. But before you go, please take these." Sister Beatrix reached into her robes, and gave Abel a number of medallions- although there were just the three of them in the cathedral, there were four in all. "These medallions will allow you and your companions to come and go from the inner district as you please." The Archbishop bowed to him slightly. "I realize that you have come to Lohan in trying times. But you have traveled far, and endured many hardships. Please do not let yourself be troubled by our affairs. Take this time to rest, and prepare for the next part of your journey."

Abel waited a moment, but it seemed the Archbishop had said all she had to say. So, after giving his thanks, he left the cathedral, the others following in his wake. As soon as he set foot outside, Raine sprang to her feet. "Well that was quick. So let's see it."

"Sure, here you go." Abel handed over the amulet without a second thought.

Raine took hold of the necklace's chain. "So what does it-" But the moment the pendant left Abel's hand, she collapsed. The necklace hit the ground with the force of a meteor, cracking the stone underfoot slightly where it landed. Raine strained, but the pendant didn't budge even a little. "What… the hell? I can't lift it!"

"What… what just happened!?" Holly exclaimed.

"Right, the Archbishop didn't mention that…" Niel said. "Once a Relic has been claimed by someone, only that person- or an ordained member of the Order- can carry it from then on, until the day of their death. Anyone else can't so much as lift them. It's meant to be a safeguard, to keep the Overlord from wielding powerful Relics against the gods."

Abel picked up the pendant, allowing Raine to stand- despite what just happened, in his hand it felt no heavier than a small rock. "Sorry about that. Are you okay, Raine?"

"I'm fine, Blue," she replied, stretching her arm. "But more importantly, finding the Ghost should be a breeze now. That pendant of yours should point us right to him!"

"Hey, she's right!" Holly said.

"Wait a minute…" Niel began. "You didn't come into the cathedral with us, so how do you know what Abel's Relic can do?" She suddenly glared, hands on her hips. "Were you eavesdropping?"

Raine folded her arms over her chest. "It's called 'intelligence gathering,' Parrot. Happens to be a specialty of mine."

The angel pointed an accusing finger at the witch. "Well I call it being a sneak! There's no place for such underhanded behavior among a Hero's companions…"

---

"…so, should we go after the Ghost now?" Holly asked as the group once again walked down Lohan's main thoroughfare. After showing the medallions to the gate guards, she and the others were allowed to exit the inner district without trouble. "Or should we wait until he strikes again?"

Raine leaned back, her hands behind her head. "Tough call, Jugs. This pendant Abel got gives him a bit of an unfair advantage. But, if we wrap things up too quickly, Vargo might think Blue and the Ghost are working together."

"Speaking of Mr. Vargo," Abel began, "should we have told the Archbishop that he asked me to help capture the Ghost?" The older man's words about the ferry to Apollonia running into "unexpected delays" echoed in his head.

"Seems like she didn't want us to worry about the Ghost at all," Niel said. "But if we take care of things quickly enough, then Vargo won't be able to interfere with our departure."

"Raine. You seem to be the most knowledgeable about the Ghost out of all of us," Lailah began. "Do you have any insight on how we might find him?"

"Well, the Ghost typically strikes at night, so he must have a civilian identity during the day," Raine began. "I think trying to find out who he really is and what he does is the best place to start."

"Um… excuse me," a timid voice from behind said. "Are you… Abel?"

Abel turned, finding himself face-to-face- or perhaps more accurately, face-to-chest- with a woman almost twice his height. She wore simple working clothes, her dark green hair pulled into a long braid, her skin darkened by the sun. He cried out, and stumbled back in surprise.

Lailah instantly stepped between Abel and the woman, pushing him back and reaching for her spear. "Abel, get behind me," she muttered.

"W-Wait, please!" the massive woman pleaded, quickly backing away. "I… I'm not here to cause trouble!"

"Look! She has horns!" Holly said, surprised.

"Yeah…" Niel replied in a dark tone. "She's a demi-human." Abel himself looked. Sure enough, the woman had a pair of slender black horns sprouting from her temples, pointing straight up into the air.

"What business do you have with us?" Lailah demanded. Though she hadn't drawn her spear yet, she gripped the shaft tightly in her hand.

"You saved a girl yesterday, right?" the horned woman said, looking at Abel. "She wants to thank you. Her and my boss."

Hearing that made Abel freeze. That girl… she was okay? And she… wanted to thank him? But she seemed so cold the day before. But before he could think on it further, Raine threw an arm over his shoulder and pulled him close. "What, another one? You can't just go around saving every girl you meet, Blue! There won't be any left for the rest of us!"

Lailah glanced back at Abel, hand still on her weapon. "Wait, you rescued someone?"

"From Vargo's men," Niel replied. "It's kinda why we're all mixed up in this Ghost business to begin with."

Lailah narrowed her eyes at Abel, before turning her attention back to the horned woman. "…where is this girl now?"

The horned woman began leading Abel and the others to another part of the city, Lailah placing herself firmly between him and the horned woman for the whole journey. Abel couldn't help but stare at the woman's horns. Was she… a demon? He'd never seen a demon before, but they seemed much friendlier than he expected. And why didn't anyone else seem to be concerned by her presence? Sure, she drew stares and more than a few dirty looks, but not the outright panic he would have expected from-

"Um… could you please not stare?" the horned woman asked timidly. "It's making me a little uncomfortable."

"Uh, sorry…" Abel replied, trying to focus on something else.

But something tugged on his earlobe. "What's wrong with you?" Niel asked. "Have you never seen a demi-human before?"

"No. What is a demi-human, anyway?" Abel asked. The topic had come up the day before, but their conversation had been interrupted before he received an answer. "Are they like… elves?"

"Not exactly. Humans, elves, dwarves, and a few others are what we call the 'civilized races-' races which receive divine protection from Lord Ilias. Demi-humans have ancestry from outside those races, such as orcs or minotaurs, and because of their mixed heritage, they don't receive Ilias's blessing."

Abel jolted slightly. He'd heard those names before. They were… "Wait, so demi-humans are part-monster?"

"Guys, maybe save the academic discussion for another time?" Raine said, leaning in. "I don't think our guide is much of a fan." Sure enough, the horned woman looked rather uncomfortable, so Abel held his tongue.

As they progressed, their surroundings began to change. The buildings became taller, but cruder, more roughly built, made almost entirely from wood, and packed so closely together a cat wouldn't have been able to squeeze between them. The streets too became more empty, grimier, with only the occasional passerby. "What is this place?" Abel asked.

"This must be the demi-human block," Raine replied. "Lots of places put heavy restrictions on demi-humans: where they're allowed to live, where they can work, and so on. Though at least Lohan lets them inside the city- some places don't even do that."

The group passed by another small group, standing in front of the blackened, hollowed-out shell of a building. There was a scent in the air- a fire must have burned it down, and recently at that. As they passed, Abel heard a woman in the other group say, "…it's all gone. I know it's only been three years, but my whole life was in that house…"

"I know," a man replied. "You should talk to Marsya. She can put you up at the temple for a while."

A third man, taller than the other two, added. "I'm just glad we got it before it spread. Those bastards could've burned down the whole damn farm…"

The horned woman finally came to a stop, in front of a building that seemed rather out of place in this grimy section of the city- a three-storied building painted a deep maroon, with golden accents that stood apart from the rest of the cramped structures. That the building was painted was unusual enough compared to the bare wooden structures Abel had seen up to now, but along the awnings between each level, he could make out writing that said: Temple of Bacchus. Furthermore, the streets had been deathly quiet before, but even from their distance, Abel could hear quite a clamor coming from within the strange building.

Holly asked the question that was on Abel's mind: "What… is that? A tavern?"

"It's a temple to Bacchus," the horned woman replied. "Though as the god of wine, I suppose there is a bit of overlap."

Abel's brow furrowed. "Wine? …There's a god for that?"

"Wine, revelry, and good fortune, technically." The horned woman looked back. "Have you really never heard of them?"

"Let's just say the gods didn't play a big role in my life until recently," he replied.

From the outside, the Temple of Bacchus seemed just as lively as any other tavern in the city. But everything fell dead silent when Abel and his companions stepped inside. The floor was packed with people, all exhibiting an exotic feature of some sort: hooves, horns, feathers, scales, claws, even tentacles and fins.

One of the tavern's patrons seated nearby stood- a burly man, with ash-grey skin and black hair, a pair of large, tusk-like teeth jutting up from behind his bottom lip- and approached Abel. "You," he said in a gravelly voice. Abel shrank back, and Lailah visibly tensed up next to him. "Are you the one who saved Seth?"

Seth? Then Abel realized- that must have been the brown-haired girl's name. So he replied, "Uh… yeah."

The tusked man looked down at him for a moment. Then extended hand toward Abel, mouth curling into what he guessed was the man's closest approximation to a smile.

"Thank you. It's good to be reminded that there are still humans out there who care about us."

After a moment, Abel reached out and shook the tusked man's hand. Almost at once, the tavern erupted into cheers. Abel was caught completely off-guard, and felt his face burning- he would have preferred the silent stares. Thankfully, the other patrons returned to their business.

The horned woman put a hand on Abel's shoulder. "Seth and Miss Marsya are waiting on the top floor. I'll take you to them. Why don't the rest of you make yourselves at home? We have more than enough wine to go around."

"Alright!" Raine wasted no time in leaping onto an empty stool by the bar. Lailah and Holly however seemed a bit less eager to intermingle with the other patrons. Even so, Abel left them behind as he followed the horned woman deeper into the building.

"I must say, Miss Marsya isn't the only one curious about you," the horned woman said as they climbed a set of stairs. "You must've made a good impression on Seth- she's been going on about you nonstop since yesterday."

Abel couldn't help but get a bit embarrassed upon hearing that. He didn't think he did anything special- nothing that any decent person wouldn't have done themselves. But before he could spend too much time being embarrassed, they reached the third floor. There was no landing- the stairs simply stopped at a wooden door.

The horned woman knocked on the door, but didn't open it. "Miss Marsya, I brought him."

"Thanks, Euro. I'll take him from here," a cool female voice called from inside. Abel jolted, feeling as though someone had rubbed a length of silk in-between his ears. The voice was… well, Abel didn't know quite how to describe it, other than that it was the kind of voice he couldn't help but want to listen to, regardless of what it said.

The horned woman- Euro, he assumed, stepped aside. "Well, in you go," she said. Abel nodded in reply, and stepped into the room behind. It was… was smaller than Abel expected. A battered desk on one side, worn bed on the other, an old sofa against the wall next to the door, all illuminated by sunlight streaming through a window on the far wall. And standing in front of the window…

Abel saw a woman with short, maroon-colored hair, wearing a dark green vest that was partly open, exposing an ample portion of her chest. Like Euro, this woman had horns, but they were broader, curling into a tight circle, like sheep horns. But her horns weren't the only feature that stood out to Abel- everything below her waist was covered in dark fur the same shade of maroon as her hair, her knees seemed to bend in the opposite direction of a normal person's, and her legs ended not with feet, but with black hooves. Abel's wrist tensed, and he had to will himself to not reach for his sword. Half-human, half-goat… the woman was unlike he'd seen before.

"A satyr…" Niel said in his head. "Guess I should've seen this coming."

The satyr crossed the room, making a distinct clop with every step. "Wow… you look just like how Seth described you," she said. Again, Abel felt a sensation of silk being pulled through his ears, and he relaxed. The satyr leaned around, examining him closely. "Hmm… Hmm? Hmm… not bad, not bad. Decent face." She reached behind him and… squeezed his rear, causing him to cry out in surprise. "Not much of an ass, though."

Abel tried to pull back, but the satyr's closeness caused him to stumble and fall back, falling onto the sofa- it was much softer than its worn appearance suggested. The satyr, still grasping him, fell right onto his lap. He tried to shrink away, but merely sank deeper into the sofa's cushions. "Ah, I-I'm sorry!" he stammered. Now that she was closer, he could see that her eyes were a violet color, but her pupils were strange- horizontal, and rectangular. Just like a goat's eyes.

Marysa smiled. It was a smile Abel recognized- Raine smiled the same way whenever she teased him. "Oh, cute! He's shy, too. You don't have to be so nervous. I know I'm a beastman, but I promise I won't bite… well, not unless you want me to."

"Alright, that's enough," a harsh voice said, and Niel appeared between Abel and the goat girl. "You need to back off."

The goat girl frowned, but did pull back. "Oh. You're here, too."

"Him and I are kind of attached to each other." Niel put her hands on her hips. "So, what do you want?"

"I just wanna thank the guy who stuck his neck out for one of us," the goat girl replied.

"And just who are you supposed to be?" The angel glanced back. "Don't tell me this is the girl you saved." Abel frantically shook his head.

The goat girl leaned back. "Name's Marsya. I'm the one in charge around here. Both here at the Temple, and the Farm in general."

"The Farm… charming name," Niel replied bluntly. "So where's the girl, then? She's the one who wanted to thank us."

As if it had been waiting for a cue, the door to the room swung open, and a brown-haired girl with a long, dark red scarf tied around her neck stepped inside. Abel recognized her. It was the girl he'd met the day before. And now, he had a name to go with her face.

Marsya looked over. "Oh. Seth. There you are."

Seth didn't say anything. But her eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth fell open slightly as she looked down at Abel and Marsya.

"Hmm?" The satyr tilted her head, before saying, "Oh don't mind me. I'm just getting a feel for what kind of man Abel is." It then occurred to Abel that the goat woman was still straddling him. He could only imagine what Seth must have thought upon seeing them.

He wouldn't have to imagine for long, though. Seth's face instantly darkened, either in anger or embarrassment, and she darted out of the room. "Wait, Seth! You're the one who-" But the door slammed shut behind Seth, cutting Marsya off. She looked at the door for a moment, before looking down at Abel. "…Eh, what can you do? Girls are always such a handful at that age."

Abel didn't reply, having no experience on the subject. But Niel did: "So, you plan on moving anytime soon? 'Cause if you think I'm just gonna sit back and watch you-"

"Oh, sorry about that." The satyr mercifully climbed off of Abel, stumbling just a little bit. "I'm a… little tipsy right now, actually. Comes with being a priestess of Bacchus."

Abel quickly got to his feet as well, as Niel hovered over his shoulder. "So, is that all then? It's not like I was expecting a cash reward, but…"

"Yeah, I guess we're done here." Marsya grabbed something hanging at her waist: a silver flask. After taking a quick drink from it, she continued, "Honestly, this meeting was more for me than you."

"What do you mean by that?" Abel asked.

Marsya took another drink. "Most humans would never stick their neck out for one of us the way you did. Especially not when they're up against Vargo's men. Why go through all the trouble?"

So… Seth hadn't said anything to her. That was okay. In fact, it made things simpler. "Well," Abel replied, "let's just say that I'm not exactly normal, either." He focused, and the wings of light on his back flared to life.

Marsya put one hand on her hip. "Huh. So the stories are true."

Abel's wings vanished with but a thought. "You already know who I am?"

Niel narrowed her eyes at the satyr. "You aren't looking to hire him for a job, are you? 'Cause we already have our hands full."

Marsya took yet another drink. "People talk, and rumors spread fast in a city like Lohan. But, no, I'm not looking to hire you. Rather, just to ask you for a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Niel asked, before Abel could.

A serious expression crossed Marsya's face as she put her flask away. "I want you to catch the Ghost of Lohan as soon as you can."

"Why?" Niel folded her arms over her chest. "Not that we weren't already planning to. But what's your stake in all this?"

"Kamash Vargo is sure the Ghost is a demi-human. So his men have been coming down on the Farm pretty hard lately. You must've passed that burned-down house when Euro brought you here, right?" Abel did, in fact, recall that. "Most humans already look down on us as it is, so things like that happen pretty often. But it's gotten worse ever since Vargo's men took over the manhunt." The satyr sighed, touching her forehead. "And we thought the disappearances were the worst thing we had to deal with…"

"Wait, people are going missing?" Abel asked. "Shouldn't you let the city guards know?"

Marsya crossed her arms over her chest. "We have. Turns out looking for a couple lost demis isn't very high on the city watch's list of priorities." She turned away, looking out the window across the room. "But don't worry about that. Put everything you've got into finding the Ghost. The sooner you put him away, the sooner things can go back to what passes for normal around here."

When Vargo had asked for his help in catching the Ghost, Abel wanted nothing to do with the situation. But even Abel himself was surprised by the lack of hesitation in his response: "I'll do it. I'll find the Ghost. And I'll catch him. I don't want all of you to get hurt just because of one person."

Abel didn't know what Marsya- what any of these demi-humans must have experienced before coming here. But even so, he could understand their position. He understood what it was to be hated… just for being born. Perhaps that shared empathy was why he agreed so quickly.

Marsya looked back, smiling. It wasn't the playful smile from earlier- it was more… genuine, somehow. More heartfelt. "Hmm… you know Abel, I think the world would be a much better place if it had more people like you in it."

"I'm… not sure about that…" Abel stammered in reply, looking away.

The satyr gave him another smile before turning away again. "Anyway, I've kept you long enough. Good hunting, and best of luck to you in… whatever comes after."

Abel climbed the stairs down to ground level alone. Marsya seemed decent enough, but what she said worried him. Demi-humans had been going missing? Why wasn't the city guard doing anything? She said not to worry about it, but her words sat in his stomach, as cold as a chunk of ice. And he knew it wouldn't go away unless he asked around at the very least.

As he descended, Abel became quite aware of some commotion on the ground floor. On his return, he spotted Raine and the tusked man seated alongside each other at the bar, chugging down the contents of a pair of large metal tankards as other patrons cheered her on. The witch finished her tankard first and slammed it down on the bar. "Gimme another!"

Holly and Lailah were among the crowd gathered around the two. "Shouldn't we stop her?" the mercenary asked.

"That was her seventh tankard," the priestess replied. "I'm not sure we'd get through to her now…"

It looked like the others were busy. Which gave Abel the opening he needed. He slipped out of the tavern and into the streets.

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to go far. Posted right outside the tavern was a large board, covered with announcements. Abel read them, realizing that the vast majority were flyers with information about demi-humans that had gone missing. It was a start… but he needed more to work with.

Luckily, someone happened to be walking by. "Excuse me!" Abel called, waving them over. "Which one of these flyers is the most recent?"

The stranger approached- a bald man, with yellowed, bony spikes growing in a line down the center of his head. "Huh? Uh, this one here." He tapped a flyer close to the bottom edge of the board. "Why you askin'?"

"Miss Marsya mentioned something about people going missing. I wanted to look into it." Abel then read the notice. According to it, the most recent person to go missing was a feline demi-human named Notte. There was no picture or drawing of her, but with his amulet, he wouldn't need one.

"Damn you, Abel," Niel said in his head. "This is exactly what got us in this mess in the first place."

"I… I know what Miss Marsya said," he began. "But I just don't feel right not doing something to help." Niel said nothing in reply. "If it helps, just… think of this as a test of the amulet's abilities. If it tries to lead me out of the city, or towards something dangerous, I'll turn back. I promise."

Silence. Then Niel said, "…you've got 'til sunset."

Abel breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Niel huffed. "Don't. I'm only doing this so it doesn't distract you from when we're tracking the Ghost later on, got it?"

---

The sky had begun turning orange when Abel finally reached the location the amulet had been pointing him toward: …a sewer runoff on the north side of the city. The same one where he and the others had exterminated the slime infestation the day before. He wandered back and forth, but there was no escaping the truth- the amulet was pointing directly into the sewer's depths. "Guess there's no way around it…" he muttered, and stepped into the dark passageway.

The smell was enough to make him gag, and his past exposure did little to mitigate its severity. He was definitely going to need to pay the bathhouse a visit after this. And give his clothes a wash. In fact, he might even have to buy a new set altogether. Still he pressed on, letting the amulet guide him, thankful that he didn't have to wade through the river of filth alongside him.

"It's getting kinda dark in here…" he muttered to himself. The entrance was well behind him now, the fading rays of the sun failing to reach him. Last time, Raine had lit the way, but-

"Daylight." The tunnel suddenly brightened, light reflecting off the slick, moss-covered brick walls. Abel looked over to the angel, who had a small ball of light hovering over her shoulder. "Just think of it as another tool for your arsenal."

Abel pressed on. The light helped, but it did little to protect him from the smell, which seemed to worsen the further he went in. Could Notte be moving away from him? He hoped not. Even with the amulet to guide him, if he got lost, he wasn't confident he could find his way-

Abel fell forward, his feet catching against something. His hands and knees hit the stone hard, and he quickly checked to make sure he hadn't cut himself- he didn't want to imagine the sort of infection he'd get from a place like this. Satisfied to see he was unhurt, he then turned his attention to whatever had snagged him- some sort of bundle, wrapped in burlap. There was no grime on it, so it apparently hadn't been in the sewer for very long, and although rubbish was far from an unusual sight, it seemed unusual that someone would bring something so far into the sewer.

Abel shook his head. He was losing his focus. He concentrated, focusing on a single objective: find Notte.

The amulet pointed straight at the bundle.

Abel felt as if a lance made of ice had pierced his chest. He looked closely, but the bundle wasn't moving. Dreading what he was about to see, Abel reached out, and pulled some of the burlap aside.

A body was lying underneath. It seemed to be the body of a girl about his age, curled up into a ball. Her skin was a strange ashen color, and she was covered in some kind of black crust- Abel assumed it was dry blood. He didn't know anything about how bodies decay, but it didn't look like she was rotting, and he didn't smell anything unusual- not that he would have been able to anyway- so she must not have been dead for very long. Now, he could understand why someone would go so deep into the sewers.

He swallowed- it seemed that he had indeed found Notte. But what was he supposed to do now? He didn't want to leave it behind, but carrying a body around the city would raise more than a few questions.

Then the body gasped.

Abel cried out and stumbled back, holding out his arm on reflex. "Angel-"

"Abel stop!" An invisible force turned his hand away from the body.

But Abel fought against it, grabbing his wrist with his free hand and trying to force it back to his intended target. "What… are you doing!?" he demanded. "Isn't this one of those… undead things!?"

Niel flew in-between Abel and the body, holding out her arms. "She's not a zombie, Abel! She's alive!"

Alive? Then… Abel immediately raced over and lifted the girl in his arms. He strained, already sweating from the effort- the stories always made it sound so easy. "Niel, I need you to fly me to the temple."

"What?"

"Please!" Abel's grip was beginning to slip. "I can't… make it that far on my own!"

"You'll owe me for this." But the angel dived into Abel's body, and he felt a sensation of something sliding into place just beneath his skin, as though he were a glove someone was putting on. Then, the wings on his back flared to life, and he was flying, racing over the slick ground and out into the open.

The wind whipped past him, forcing Abel to squeeze his eyes shut. But he could feel Niel turning, rising, and descending as she steered his body back to the Temple of Bacchus. And after what seemed like just a few seconds, his feet touched solid ground. He opened his eyes, to find himself across the street from the temple.

He staggered as Niel released her control over him, and stumbled as he carried the girl in his arms. Upon reaching the temple door, he kicked it with all his might, his hands too full to open it himself.

"Alright, just give me a damn second!" a female voice on the other side of the door said. "But if you're too drunk to open a door yourself-" The scaled woman on the other side of the door gasped- almost screamed when she laid eyes on Abel. Or rather, what he was carrying.

"Please…" he said. "Are there any doctors here?"

---

The barmaid quickly brought Abel inside and up to a room on the second level. After that, Marsya came down to clear out the temple, save for a small handful of others with medical expertise. Lailah was among those with such experience, so she remained as Abel and the others were forced out. Despite the commotion his arrival had caused, the temple patrons didn't stick around, and returned to their homes as night fell, leaving Abel, Raine, and Holly alone in the empty street just in front of the temple.

Abel couldn't help but worry- Lailah had taken care of him while he'd been healing, but he owed much of his survival to Niel's blood. And it wasn't likely she'd be willing to give another transfusion. So all he could do was wait in silence with the others.

Time wore on. The street remained deserted, so it wasn't hard to hear the footsteps of someone approaching, nor to spot their cause: a figure draped in a dark cloak. They didn't look like a guard, nor one of Vargo's mercenaries. In fact, though the hood was drawn up, Abel spotted a glint of silver over the figure's eyes.

Holly and Raine noticed the figure as well. The mercenary must have discerned the figure's identity, because she began to say, "Isn't that-"

"I must say, Lord Abel," Sister Beatrix began, pulling back her hood, "your flight over the city did wonders to quash Captain Lucille's doubts about you. But what could possibly have been so urgent that you would need to fly over half the city?" Abel explained what had happened, and what he'd found in the sewer runoff. After listening in silence, she looked to the temple. "And she's still on the second floor?"

"Wait, where are you going?" Raine asked.

"I am an Archbishop," she replied. "Thus, an ordained priestess of the Order. I have medical experience and knowledge of spells that may be of some use to the unwell." With that, she stepped into the tavern.

More time passed. From the bells tolling in the distance, midnight was approaching. But still, Abel and the others remained in the street in front of the temple. And that was where Lailah found them when she finally emerged. She looked exhausted, her hair tangled and messy, strolipped down to her robes with the sleeves rolled back, hands stained red. After taking a few breaths, she said, "Don't tell me you were just waiting out here this whole time."

Abel asked, "…well? What's happening with Notte?"

"She's alive…" the priestess said. "…but she's very ill."

"I suppose that makes sense," Holly said. "Abel did find her in the sewer runoff."

Lailah shook her head. "No, it's not because of that. She had some sort of infection, and it was very advanced. Sister Beatrix thinks she'd had it for a few days at the very least. There's something a little more concerning, though."

"What? What is it?" Raine asked. In spite of the copious amounts of alcohol she'd been drinking, the sight of Abel staggering into the tavern carrying a body had sobered her up rather quickly.

"Not out here. It would be best to see for yourselves." And so, Lailah led them to her patient.

Abel hadn't paid much attention earlier, his mind being focused on other things, but the temple's second floor was little more than a hallway lined with doors, akin to an inn you could find in any other part of the city. They quickly came to one room in particular and stepped inside. Sister Beatrix and Marsya were already inside- the satyr sat on the bed, while the Archbishop sat in a chair alongside it. Lying in the bed itself was the girl Abel had found, though with all the blood and filth cleaned up, and a few bandages wrapped around her face, she was barely recognizable. Seemingly her whole body below her neck was wrapped with bandages as well. But, something felt… off about the girl. And Abel couldn't put his finger on what. At least, not until Raine asked, "What… happened to her arms?"

It was that moment when Abel realized exactly what was amiss. Notte's arms were… gone. It wasn't that they were covered by bandages- they simply weren't there, as though she'd never had any.

Lailah let out a long breath before replying. "We… don't know. But look here, at her shoulders." She reached over and shifted some of the bandages, exposing what looked to be stitches placed where her arms should have been. "Surgical sutures. Whatever happened to her, it wasn't a monster attack, or an accident. Someone amputated her arms deliberately."

Instinctively, Abel held out his hand. He concentrated, trying to picture Lailah's smile in his mind. It was a difficult image to hold onto in the face of what was laying in front of him. But he managed, and Notte was bathed in a white light… but, nothing happened. "What?" He focused, and again, the girl was bathed in a white light… but while her wounds and bruises vanished, her arms remained missing. "Why isn't it working!?"

"Divine magic is powerful, Lord Abel," Sister Beatrix began, "but it cannot be used to replace or mend lost or deformed limbs. If we had her arms, there might be a chance, but…"

"Then… I'll find them!" Abel turned. "I can use the amulet to-"

"Abel," Marsya said. "Don't. Please."

He looked back. "But-"

Marsya sighed. "I won't lie to you- you've done more in the few days you've been in Lohan than the guard has done for us in years. And I appreciate that. Really. But you don't have to worry about us. We've been looking after ourselves long before you came into the picture. And we'll keep looking after ourselves long after you leave." She looked down at Notte. "We can't count on anyone else to do it."

"Lord Abel…" Sister Beatrix said, rising to her feet. "I wish to speak with you for a moment. Alone, if it pleases Your Grace." With a sigh, Niel emerged and fluttered to Lailah's side as the Archbishop led him out of the room.

As he walked away, he heard Holly ask, "How could someone do something so terrible?"

Raine folded her arms over her chest. "Hope this isn't a serial killer's handiwork. We've got enough on our plate as it is…"

The street outside the tavern was still deserted. Sister Beatrix muttered, "Good…" to herself, before turning to face Abel. "Lord Abel…" she said. Then, she paused for several moments, as if carefully considering what she would say next. "…When I was a girl, I was struck by an illness that robbed me of my sight. Because of my blindness, my family abandoned me to the care of the Church. For a long while, I despaired. But then, after I'd run out of tears to shed, I steeled myself, and learned the scriptures and rites needed to advance in the Order by having them read to me countless times. Through devotion and hard work, I advanced through the ranks, until I was selected to serve as the Archbishop for Istar. As a symbol of my achievement, the Praetor of the day saw fit to bestow upon me a Relic for my personal use- the mask I wear now. Although it does not let me see with the clarity I once did, it allows me to see into the hearts of men, and judge their worth."

Sister Beatrix reached up, and removed her mask- beneath, her eyes were a strange, cloudy mix of green and grey. "I say all of this, because even without this mask, I can see how your heart aches at the pain of others. I will not condemn you for your compassion- I cannot, for compassion is one of the virtues upon which the Church stands. But you cannot let it blind you. You were chosen to be a Hero for one reason." She slipped the mask over her eyes once more. "And that reason is to slay the Overlord."

Abel stepped toward the Archbishop. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" he asked. "Everyone acts like it has to be one or the other: that I can either use my power to help people, or use it to fight the Overlord. Why can't I do both?"

Sister Beatrix crossed her arms over her chest. "I did not say you couldn't. But if you try to chase down a solution for the problems of every person you meet, you will never move forward. With every passing moment, the Overlord grows stronger. And the day will come where he will make his move, whether you are prepared for him or not."

The Archbishop turned away. "I will do everything within my power to ensure that girl receives the treatment she needs. I promise you that. And although I do not presume to make demands of you- even as an Archbishop, I do not have that authority- I would advise that you spend your time readying yourself for the day when your path, and the Overlord's path, inevitably cross."

The Archbishop turned, and began walking down the road, back to the cathedral, leaving Abel alone. Her words were gentler than Niel's, but the message was unchanged: His duty was to save the world by slaying the Overlord. Anything else came second to that.

Save the world. A world where someone could kidnap a girl, cut off her arms and leave her to die. Where after saving that same girl, he was told to just… forget about what he'd seen, by one of her own friends, no less. As if it had never happened.

But he couldn't do that. He wouldn't. He couldn't just ignore the pain of others. Not when he had the power to do something about it. Not when he had the power to save someone else from being… like him.

But what should he do? What could he do? For as much as Abel wanted to use his power to help others, it seemed he stood alone on that hill. Niel and Sister Beatrix had made their stance clear, and as a member of the Church, Lailah would likely side with them. What would Holly say, if he asked? Or Raine? Would they agree with him? Or would they oppose him as well? He looked up to the sky, alight with stars beyond number, hoping beyond hope that he might find an answer there.

But, just as before, he found none.

---

Cities like Lohan never truly sleep.

When night came, most turned in for the night. But not all. For some, it was their duty to drive back the shadows, lest they swallow up decent folk. But others used the night as a cloak to mask their dark deeds from the world.

The figure that stood over the sleeping Notte was both of those people, and neither all at once.

The sleeping demi-human stirred, and opened her eyes, as some primal part of her realized that she was being watched. The instant her gaze turned to the figure, her eyes widened in terror, and she let out several sharp breaths, as if trying to scream.

And why wouldn't she have? Awakening with a dark figure with a glaring skull for a face looming over her? She must have thought the shadow of death itself was standing at her bedside. Fear was a perfectly justified reaction.

Before Notte could find her voice to scream, the figure put a hand firmly over her mouth. "It's okay, Notte," she said. "You don't need to be scared." She reached up, sliding the mask up to the top of her head to reveal her face. It was something she vowed she would never do, so long as Kamash Vargo walked free. But she needed to gain Notte's trust. And if she was lucky, when Notte next awoke, she would believe this encounter to be nothing more than a bad dream.

Notte's eyes widened again, and when the Ghost pulled her hand away, she tried to sit up. "But you-"

"It's alright, Notte," the Ghost said, gently laying her back down. "You just rest." She slid the mask back down over her face, her voice hardening. "I'm going to make Vargo pay for what he did to you."

The Ghost turned away. She had almost all the pieces she needed. Gathering them had been slow, painfully so. But she had to act carefully, so Vargo wouldn't determine her true intentions. If he figured out her plan, he would destroy the evidence she sought and flee to the ends of the earth, where justice would never find him. And killing him wouldn't be enough to stop the machine he had built. His entire operation would need to be exposed before it could be dismantled. Then, and only then, would justice be done.

And Notte's testimony would bring her one step closer to that goal. That boy had no way of knowing just how much he'd helped her, without even realizing it.

She touched her mask, right above where her lips would have been. The thought of that boy… of Abel, made them heat up. She didn't know Notte well, but after the kindness everyone here had shown her, she still considered her a friend all the same. But to him… she was a stranger, a demi-human- perhaps, even an inferior… yet he still went out to find her. And even more unbelievably, he'd succeeded. He brought her back, alive. She could scarcely believe the news when she heard it. But the evidence was laid out in front of her, quite literally.

If only the world could have more people like him in it, she thought. If it did…

…then it would have no need for people like her .

The figure crept down the stairs and toward the temple's back entrance. As she stepped out into the narrow alleyway behind it, Seth took a breath, and closed her eyes.

It was the Ghost of Lohan who opened them.

It was time to go to work.