Chapter Three: Part Five

"Do you sense them now, Bishop?"

Sasarai frowned, rubbing his chin with his fingers as he observed their surroundings. To the west of their position he saw a large grove of trees. And from the map Pilika "borrowed" in Niebieska Brama he knew that a large city was to the south of them. He knew that he had felt the power from this area, but he no longer sensed it. "No," he said finally, lowering his hand. "But they were here."

"And you sensed two True Runes, Bishop?" Dios asked him.

"…Three," Sasarai after a moment. "But only two felt familiar to me."

"Three True Runes?!" Pilika exclaimed. She looked around them. "What is this Kingdom hiding, having three True Runes here?!"

"What Runes did you recognize, Bishop?" Dios asked Sasarai.

"The True Wind Rune," Sasarai said. Dios flinched when he said that. Sasarai understood his sentiment. "I also sensed—"

"NOW!"

The shout cut him off. In a flash the trio was surrounded on all sides by straggly-looking individuals, all of them grinning and snickering obnoxiously. Sasarai glanced at the faces around them with a neutral expression. "So the lot of you decided to show yourselves?" he asked.

"Eh?" a few gasps.

"H-How did you know we were following you?!" an orange-haired man exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"…You weren't exactly subtle," Dios said curtly.

"And you still let yourselves be cornered," a new voice boomed. Two men stepped aside and a smug-looking man with slicked back blonde hair and a smirk stepped forward. "You must be fools. But seeing as you're Harmonian diplomats wandering around the country without an escort, that was easy to figure out." He chuckled to himself.

Pilika gasped sharply in alarm. Sasarai glanced at her and he saw that her eyes were wide. "I…know that man," she said softly.

Sasarai glanced towards the man who was undoubtedly the leader. He realized the smug bastard looked familiar to him, too.

"Wait, they're from Harmonia?!" a black-haired ruffian exclaimed.

"Yes, Goose," the leader said irritably.

"I'm Froth, Boss!" The ruffian protested. "That's Goose!" He jabbed his thumb at the orange-haired man.

"I don't give a damn! Who cares what your damn names are?!"

"A truly inspiring leader," Dios said with obvious disgust.

"Shut the hell up, you privileged bureaucrat!" The leader snapped, drawing his sword and pointing it at Dios.

Sasarai swiftly moved to stand in front of his advisor, narrowing his eyes at the leader. "Don't you dare threaten my people," he said sharply. "If you know what's good for you, then you'll leave us be!"

The leader barked out a laugh and stepped. "And what are YOU going to do about it?!"

"You!" Pilika shrieked, stepping forward and pointing at the leader. "Now I remember you! You hurt the people who saved me!"

The leader looked towards her, his brow furrowing in confusion. "…What?" he asked.

"I know him," Pilika said, looking at Sasarai. "His name is Rowd! He would sell his own child down the river if it meant power for him!"

"Wow Boss, she knows you well!" Goose laughed stupidly.

"SHUT UP!" the leader, Rowd, shouted at his subordinate. He snapped his teeth and glared at Pilika. "What do you know about me, bitch?!"

"Remember Riou and Uncle Jowy?!" Pilika shot back. Rowd stiffened, and the color quickly drained from his face.

"Well that settles it," Sasarai said, raising his right hand. "You hurt my ally. Now you will pay."

Rowd stammered for a moment before grabbing Froth by the arm and shoving his subordinate towards Sasarai. "RUN!"

Sasarai didn't even stir. "Earthquake."

"I can't see her!" Denzel shouted, hovering his hands over his eyes. "Damn! Where are they?!"

"They must have decided to head to the Old Capital," Sigrun said, her tone grim. "They can't necessarily get back across."

"I thought I saw a fourth person with them," Dr. Tieling said, also shielding a hand over her eyes. "But it may have been a shadow. The island's too far away."

There was a dark blur and Musashi appeared before them. "I was able to get as far as one kilometer," Musashi told Denzel. "The main problem is that the one kilometer in there's a gap thirty-one meters wide. No debris in between. It's too far for me to jump safely."

"It's okay," Denzel reassured him. He looked towards Viktor. "Who was that girl who teleported them across?"

"Viki," Viktor said, rubbing at his nape. "I knew her, kinda. She served in the same army as me during the Gate Rune War and Dunan Unification War—"

"Wait, the Gate Rune War?!" Dr. Tieling exclaimed, staring at him with a gaping. "That girl fought in the Gate Rune War?! But that war was almost thirty years ago!"

"Oh, that's nothing!" Richard laughed, waving a hand. "I remember her from the Falenan Civil War!"

"EH?!" everyone except Viktor exclaimed.

"I believe it," Viktor muttered.

"Wait, does that girl have a True Rune as well?!" Sigrun demanded.

"I don't think it is," Viktor said. "And she has terrible control over it. She used to teleport Lord Riou to random spots. Like, she teleported him once to some room filled with treasure chests!"

"Oh, she did the same with Prince Freyjadour," Richard said. "I wasn't there, I but I heard she teleported him to some random forest!"

"Okay, how that does help us NOW?!" Denzel demanded. "If those three are headed to the Old Capital, how are we supposed to help them?!"

"Especially with the werewolves," Richard said.

Everyone gaped at him in horror. "What?" Viktor asked in a flat tone.

"I thought that was a rumor," Ferdinand said.

"It might be," Richard said. "But I used to hear tales from years ago of a giant wolf that inhabited the South Island. I even heard he was as large as Bhayankar!"

"I can't imagine His Majesty allowing a werewolf the size of Bhayankar to exist here," Sigrun said.

"Werewolves are not entirely bad," Ferdinand said. "We Kobolds can get along with them, so long as they have a Rabid Fang Rune."

"'Rabid Fang Rune'?" Denzel asked.

"I've heard that it's a rune that allows werewolves to maintain their human mind and change between human and wolf form at will," Ferdinand explained.

"Yeah, I knew a guy who had one during the Dunan Unification War," Viktor said, stepping forward. "His name was Bob. I think he lives in the Kobold Village in Toran now, or Dunan—I don't know. But without the Rabid Fang Rune, werewolves become "rogues"—stuck in their beast form and completely consumed by feral madness. They become monsters like what we see on the plains."

"The werewolf curse is contagious," Dr. Tieling said grimly. "If you're bitten or scratched by a werewolf, then you inherit the curse. Once their teeth or claws touches your blood, you're done. Not even the strongest healing runes can break the curse."

"And those things are OVER THERE where Astraea is?!" Denzel snapped, jabbing his finger towards the smaller island.

"Wait," Viktor said, waving his hand. "The giant werewolf. I—there's a rune called the Blue Moon Rune," he deviated. "It's responsible for the existence of vampires. Vampires MUST remain in proximity of the Blue Moon Rune or they will lose their minds and become bloodsucking monsters. Rabid Fang Runes come from somewhere, right? So that giant werewolf thing over there—" he waved towards the smaller island. "Maybe that big wolf has the True Rune that makes the Rabid Fang Rune?"

"But we don't know that," Sigrun said, looking towards the island once more. "We need to get over there now!"

"The gap is too wide for any of us to jump safely across," Musashi said.

"But we have to do SOMETHING!" Denzel exclaimed. "I'm not going to let my little sister become a monster!"

"We—WHO'S THERE!" Ferdinand suddenly shouted, spinning around and drawing his glaive. He quickly moved to protect Sigrun.

The group quickly realized that there were running footsteps approaching them. Musashi drew his kunai and grabbed Denzel's arm, but before anyone could react a dark blur rushed past them. The blur leapt from the remnants of the beginning of Giant's Passage and onto a piece of debris, disappearing from sight.

"…Who was that?!" Viktor said.

Sigrun frowned. "I think I know who."

It did not take long for the group to leave the forest after leaving the werewolves, and they emerged onto an open plain littered with a few trees. The path turned from a dirt road into a cobblestone road. There was significant overgrowth on this side of the forest though; the grass looked to be at least sixty centimeters tall, and there was even grass and weeds growing in the cobblestones. "There are no herbivore monsters here," Pesmerga said.

"Then there must be rogues over here," Astraea said. "David, Viki, stay close."

"Yeah, I'm not exactly eager to become a werewolf," David said.

Mahihkan had reassured Astraea that he did not attack people to turn them into werewolves, but had given refuge to those afflicted with the curse and would give anyone who needed a Rabid Fang Rune the rune to save them. He also did his part to get rid of "rogue" werewolves who had fallen to darkness and had become monsters. But even he had his limits.

"The Red Moon Rune is responsible for the existence of werewolves, so werewolves are naturally drawn to its power," he told Astraea. "As a result, feral rogues have congregated here on this island. Better they come here to an uninhabited land than in populated areas, but we are trying our best to dispose of them. But the curse is easily spread, and there are more rogues than stable werewolves. I've tried to help as many as I can from their curse, but I cannot help those who are too far gone, or who simply reject my help. For every feral rogue I kill, there are two more that are still around."

"Ah…how did feral rogues end up here?" Astraea asked him. "This is an island, and the land bridge to here was destroyed. How would monsters consumed by madness get here?"

"I do not know, Your Highness. But they are here, so be very careful out there."

"Sounds like a plot hole," David muttered.

"A what?" Astraea asked him.

"Nothing."

"If we are attacked by rogues I will take the lead," Pesmerga said. "The werewolf curse cannot affect me."

"Really?" Viki asked. "How?"

"…Because I'm a Black Knight," Pesmerga said bluntly.

"Ohhh."

Astraea glanced at Viki. "Ah…how do you know that guy?" she whispered to Viki.

"We've worked together—uh—previously," Viki said in a strained tone.

"Maybe I should let a rogue attack you," Pesmerga mused. "He'll certainly come if that happens."

Viki 'eeped' and Astraea glared at Pesmerga. "If you let Viki get hurt, I'll make you sorry."

"Heh," was Pesmerga's response. He seemed amused by her threat.

"Hey," David whispered to Viki. "I've heard a lot about you, but since when do you have an association with the Black Knights?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Viki whispered back.

"The way Pesmerga's acting," Astraea said. "The man he doesn't want us to name. Are you in a relationship with him?"

"NO!" Viki burst out. She quickly recovered herself and bowed. "I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I'm just…"

Astraea faced her fully. She reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. "If someone is bothering you that you don't want near you, then I will protect you from them. I swear on my name, Viki."

Viki looked up at her. "I…really?"

"Be careful, Princess," David said, folding his arms over his chest. "Y—the person Pesmerga seeks. He's not one to be trifled with."

"A rogue is coming," Pesmerga announced. The group snapped to attention and Astraea tensed when she saw a werewolf with dark brown fur charging towards them. She could immediately see the difference between this werewolf and the 'wolves in the forest; the fur on this creature was filthy and matted, and its eyes blazed red. She saw pants still clinging to the creature; a remnant of the human it once was. But there was nothing human left there.

Was it too late for this person to get a Rabid Fang Rune? Or were they offered the rune by Mahihkan…and rejected it?

Despite his earlier threat, Pesmerga took care of the werewolf before it could attack anyone. The group decided to pick up the pace towards the Old Capital. They only had three more monster encounters on the road, and though thankfully they did not encounter other rogues the monsters were no less dangerous.

The path soon took them to a river bend of crystal blue water. Astraea did not expect to see it there. "Wait," she said, kneeling down beside the rushing river. She dipped her hand in, collecting water into her palm and raising it to her mouth. She tasted it and looked up. "This is fresh water."

"Then the Old Capital must be close," David said. "This river would be the water supply for the city."

"Then this river—ah—it must be the Życia," Astraea said, recalling from her lessons. "The Życia River was where the people of the Capital got their fresh water from."

"Then we should follow the river," Pesmerga said.

Thankfully it did not take them long to reach the Old Capital after finding the Życia River. Astraea knew that they had arrived when she saw the state of the cobblestone change. They no longer look unkempt and overgrown, but solid and even beneath their feet. The Życia River started to widen to their left, and building shrouded by trees began to emerge. Her heart started hammering in her chest and she felt a giddiness inside of her. She had heard the stories of the Old Capital and had always wanted to see it. Now she would.

And I will make it our home.

"How long ago was the city abandoned, Your Highness?" David asked.

"Ages ago," Astraea said. "Long before even my grandfather was born."

"Then we should be prepared for a city in less than ideal conditions," David said. "Mahihkan made no mention of coming here. If no one has lived here in a long time, then we should expect parts of the city to be reclaimed by the environment."

Astraea understood this. She knew that the Old Capital may be less than hospitable after being abandoned for so long, but she knew that it was the safest place for them. She knew that they had a lot of hard work ahead of them. The four knew what to expect se they saw the tall tan-colored walls of the Old Capital, and its arch entrance framed by trees. Astraea heard the roar of a sluice gate, and just outside the gate of the city she turned to look out over the city. What she saw left her in a state of shock. "Oh, my God…"

"Whoa," David said, his eyes widening.

"Incredible," Viki breathed. Pesmerga said nothing.

From the outskirts of the city gates, they could see the heart of the Old Capital; buildings on either side of the Życia River. They expected to see collapsed buildings. Building overgrown with vines. Maybe even trees sprouting through roofs. But they did not see that. They looked out over a city that looked…perfect. The paint looked fresh on the houses. None of the roofs were missing shingles. No windows appeared to be broken. The sluice gate just below them had no cracks in its walls. Two stone bridges hung over the river and neither of them had water damage or were in a state of collapse or disrepair. Astraea couldn't even see dust or rot on the city walls ahead of them. She looked at her companions with an open mouth before her eyes fell upon David. "H—How is this possible?"

"This is very interesting," David said, rubbing at his chin. "The Old Capital looks like a freshly built city."

"It looks like a painting," Viki said, mesmerized.

"Let's go," Astraea said, swallowing thickly. "We're claiming this city for our own. Let's explore it."

"Heh," Pesmerga said.

They entered through the main gate and into an area that was lined with houses. Other than a soft breeze blowing through there was silence around them. Astraea walked up to the nearest house and peered inside through the window. The house was empty of any furniture, but she saw no interior damage. She didn't even see dust inside. She didn't know if she should be in awe or be uneasy by how…perfect everything looked. She nodded to her companions and they kept moving.

It appeared that the district directly in front of the main gate was a residential district. At the edge of the residential district was a massive white stone building with a large tower. It looked like a castle, but she knew that the Reiser Royal Family would not have built their resident right at the main gate. The building had thick double doors, but when she tried the handles they did not budge. "Locked?"

"I can knock it down," Pesmerga said.

"Ah, not right now. Let's keep going."

The silence was only slightly unnerving as they continued to explore the empty city. Past the tower building was the first bridge, and they decided to cross it to the other side. Here Astraea quickly realized that it was the Old Capital's market district. There were multiple empty buildings that had placards for signs. She couldn't but smile as she stood in the square, looking around. If she was going to make a home here to prepare for Royal Combat, there were enough buildings to have multiple shops to assist her in her own. There was enough room for any trade to be there.

I know why they moved to the main island, but it must have been hard for the residents here to leave this city behind.

They found the second bridge and crossed back over. Now deeper into the city Astraea could see that the Życia River stretched straight to the horizon, and she saw many more buildings hugging the river's edge. It felt like it would take forever to explore every inch of the Old Capital.

"Are you satisfied, Your Highness?" David asked as they reached the other side.

"Very satisfied," Astraea said, laughing a little. "This place is perfect."

"Then perhaps before we go further we should try to get back to the others?"

Astraea saw his point, but she didn't want to stop exploring. She looked to Viki. "I—can you get us back across Giant's Passage from here?"

"Ah—I might be able to," Viki said.

Astraea nodded. "Before we leave, I want to look for the predecessor of Eisenblütig. The place where my ancestors lived."

David nodded. "That sounds fair. We may as well earmark your primary residence first, Your Highness."

Astraea felt heat on her face. "I-I just want to see where they lived."

David smiled. "I'm teasing you."

"Should you tease a Queen?" Viki asked him.

"I'm not Queen yet," Astraea said.

"Something's coming," Pesmerga announced.

"Eh?"

A sudden gust of wind struck the group of four. Though…it was strange. The trees around them did not stir and the scent of the wind was…sweet.

A golden shimmering stream suddenly streaked through the air between them. Astraea gasped throatily as she saw a tiny figure 10 cms tall with pointed ears and blue hair casually flying through the air. "A Pixie!" she exclaimed.

Before the group could react, the Pixie floated between them and threw its hands into the air. Glittering dust geysered from its hands and rained down upon the four. Astraea cried out as she felt a surge of wind blow up her body. Her vision blurred as the world suddenly changed. The sky suddenly stretched far away, and the buildings and trees grew. She quickly realized what was happening. Pixie Dust! We're shrinking!

The four suddenly found themselves very small and standing on a single cobblestone square, standing 10 cms tall. "W-What happened?! Viki exclaimed.

"We were shrunk with Pixie Dust," David said in a dull tone.

Pesmerga chuckled, but it was a humorless sound.

"That's what you get, naughty humans!"

The four jumped up at this unfamiliar voice. The Pixie they had shrunk them circled around their heads before landing beside them on the cobblestone square. Astraea saw that he was male, with blue hair, blue eyes, a blue hat and blue clothing, and an absolutely mischievous grin. He shook his head and wagged his finger at them. "You left this city behind and think you can just come back? No, no, not at all! Not after what I have done to keep this city whole!" His voice had a high-pitch to it.

Pesmerga drew his sword and pointed it to the Pixie. "Reverse this now," he said coldly.

The Pixie only laughed and jumped into the air, doing a backflip. Mid-backflip there was a loud "POOF" and blue smoke surrounded his body. When the smoke dissipated, the Pixie was no longer as small as they. Though not the size of a human he was still bigger than them, possible 50 cms tall. He sat cross-legged before them and grabbed Pesmerga's cape, lifting the Black Knight by it. "If you hurt me then you will never be big again," the Pixie warned him cheerfully. "Now be quiet and take your punishment!"

"Ah, excuse me Sir!" Astraea shouted, waving her arm. The Pixie shifted his gaze to her. "The state of the Old Capital—you kept it in this beautiful condition?"

"Of course I did, Miss!" the Pixie responded. "I am a House Pixie! A good House Pixie will never let a building it loves fall!"

"Ah, Sir," David said, stepping forward and motioning to Astraea. "This is not a "Miss". This is a Princess you speak to."

The Pixie's brow lifted. His eyes narrowed as he peered at Astraea. "Your eyes," he said. "The Reiser blue. You are indeed a Reiser royal."

"My name is Astraea Reiser," Astraea said. "If you would allow me—"

"The Reiser Royal Family enslaved House Pixies," the Pixie interjected, his tone turning sharp. "There are not many of us left. I may be the only one. I am alone, as the Forest Pixies do not like House Pixies. They consider us "sell outs". Sell outs!" he shouted the two words, and Astraea's vision and ears rattled from the loud noise. "Just because I prefer a home to the forest! Bah! They are as prejudice as the Elves! But—" he pointed down to them. "They are not as bad as you humans."

Astraea did not know what to do. The Pixie was angry with their arrival, and she knew that he had a grudge against her family. She knew she could argue with him as she had done nothing to him, or she could try to appease him. After a moment she dropped to her knees and knelt in kowtow. David and Viki quickly scrambled to kneel with her. "I—Princess Astraea Reiser—humbly apologize for the sins committed against you by my family. I ask that if you seek vengeance for what happened in the past that you direct your rage towards me. My companions have nothing to do with it. Please let them go."

The Pixie was silent for a long moment. He still held Pesmerga by his cape. "Why have you come here, Princess Astraea Reiser?"

"For refuge," Astraea said. "I am—hunted by my family. I was framed for treason. To save myself, and to save my comrades who allied with me, I plan to issue a challenge for Royal Combat to the King."

"The King is your father?"

"Yes, Sir."

"And he is the one who hunts you? Who wants you dead."

"Yes, Sir."

"Raise your head, Princess."

Astraea sat up. The Pixie was looking at her peculiarly. "You want to be Queen, but you bow to me," he said. "You bow to a Pixie."

"I do," Astraea said. "And I ask your mercy for my comrades, Sir."

"My name is Brownie," the Pixie said. "You may call me that, Princess."

Astraea nodded. "If you do not want us here, we will leave. We will leave you in peace, Brownie."

Brownie frowned at her. "You are kind. Pleasant. Humans are not kind or pleasant to me."

Astraea managed a smile. "If you would allow me, I would like to be your friend."

Brownie looked away. "Friend?"

"Yes."

Brownie abruptly set Pesmerga back down beside Astraea. He stood up and jumped into the air, disappearing into another "POOF" of smoke. Suddenly he was the same size as them again, flying down and landing abruptly in front of Astraea. "All right, Princess Astraea," he said. "If you want to be my friend, then you can get that out of my home."

Astraea blinked in confusion. "'That'?"

Brownie reached for his belt and pulled out a wooden stick. She realized that it was a wand. He drew a circle above their heads, and Astraea suddenly felt her feet leave the ground. She looked at their companions and saw that they were also floating. Pesmerga looked very unamused by this. "Come," Brownie said.

He suddenly took off into the air, and Astraea felt an unexpected tug on her middle. She cried out as they were suddenly flying through the air, over the roofs of buildings. Brownie guided them to the west of the city, and Astraea saw many more buildings below them. But soon the buildings disappeared, replaced by trees and a wide cobblestone path. She raised her head and her heart skipped a beat. Ahead of them, surrounded by trees in the middle of a clearing, was a magnificent castle. It wasn't as massive as Eisenblütig, but it tall with blended architecture. There were four stone towers that framed the four corners of the castle, with the largest tower in the front. The rest of the building had a half-timber flare. There were two entrances; one at higher elevation with a long staircase, and a lower one at ground level with a shorter staircase. Astraea knew when she saw the castle that this was where her ancestors lived.

Brownie took them to the main entrance and set them down on the top step. He waved his arms into the air, spraying Pixie Dust once more, and the four suddenly grew large again to their regular sizes. "Don't ever do that again," Pesmerga warned.

Brownie ignored him, circling around Astraea and taking a seat on her left shoulder. "It's in there," he said, pointing towards the double doors. "It drove me out. If you are my friend, then get it out of my home."

Astraea looked at him. "What's in there?"

No sooner did she ask the question that the doors burst open in front of them. The group jumped to opposite sides as a large launched itself from the door and into the front courtyard. It was a skinless creature that crawled on all fours that appeared to be very large. It turned around to face them, and she saw sharp teeth sticking out of its mouth at cockeyed angles. Its eyes were red and black, and it looked upon them with hatred. It then threw back its head and let out a deafening roar.

"Oh," Pesmerga said, tilting his head to the side as he raised his sword.

"W-What is that thing?!" Astraea sputtered.

"A different kind of rogue," Pesmerga said.

"W-Where's its fur?!" Viki exclaimed.

"It's different." Pesmerga pointed at the creature with its sword. "See the bite mark on its hip? That was bitten by a ghoul."

A ghoul?!

"Oh," David said, the word sounding like a panicked exhale. "That's not just a feral werewolf. It's undead."