Chapter 12 - Silver Tongue

As Kita felt the temperature drop drastically, she forced herself to open her eyes. However, the sight left her concerned.

Where she was supposed to see the overhead branches of the forest, she now saw a cloudy dun sky. She quickly sat up, but around her, she could only see fog. There were no things, not even a stone, and no living creature as far as the eye could see.

Even though there was no one in sight, there were slightly harmonized cries in the distance. It was like someone was trying to sing in an awful, screeching manner. The sound was enough to make anyone's ears bleed, but Kita found it oddly hypnotic as well.

Until they became louder, more agonized, and Kita had to cover her ears. Scared, she shut her eyes tight.

"No," Kita murmured. "Please don't-"

Suddenly, she heard harsh whispers, so close to her ears that she had to make sure she was alone. She was still very much alone, but the hissing was unbearable.

"Our world is full of agony. If you listen closely, you can hear their screams. Warriors who have fallen, innocents who were slaughtered, tyrants that got what they deserved, and so much more."

Everything became louder, and Kita fell to her knees, covering her ears.

"Every scream, cry, and wail tells a story. In some cases, you may have the power to reverse their imminent fates. Be careful, though, or you may just find the same lying in wait for you. Caution will serve you well, but only for so long. There are creatures out there that use the most convincing masks."

Kita was overcome by a vibrant red haze, even though she swore her eyes were closed. Then, something flashed before her.

An eye of shadows slid open, blacker than ink, with one glowing white ring staring at her menacingly.

"Know when to listen, and when to lie."

As everything seemed to vanish, Kita found herself fighting to open her eyes. She struggled to move, trying to pinch herself awake.

When she was finally able to see, there was nothing in the area. Just the swaying branches of the Blood Forest. The air was humid, and fragrant dew was dripping onto her nose from somewhere above. The sight of the sky was the most surprising, though. The morning's golden sunlight was trickling through the canopy.

Kita mumbled with a drowsy voice, "I made it to morning?"

She looked down, and immediately became too scared to praise herself for sleeping. She had what looked like a death grip on her own wrist. Her skin had turned red from the pressure, which had also agitated past scratches.

Kita pried her hand away. "If it's not one thing, it's the other. This is so annoying."

She saw that the tiny fire had gone out in the night, but the camp was undisturbed. She couldn't remember anything unusual, apart from what she had dreamed, and Stud seemed calm enough for the same to apply to him. After tidying up, Kita picked up the bag and walked toward the stream's crossing point.

"I need a plan, unlike yesterday," she murmured.

When Kita reached the point in the stream with protruding stones, she stopped and hid behind a large tree. She retrieved a book from her bag, but as soon as she opened it, a cloud of dust burst at her. Waving the debris away from her face, she started flipping through.

"Maybe I can glean a hint," Kita murmured. "I don't think her majesty meant to include this book, but it does talk about random attempts to fight and defend against the demons. There has to be something-"

One word made her freeze and bite her tongue. The page was mangled and torn, as if someone had tried to tear it off. Still, the words were intact, and she couldn't help her curiosity.

'Kodin.'

"That's right," Kita mumbled. "He's the reason I took up this mission in the first place. Our problems sounded so similar, down to the loss of faith in Sybilius..."

Flipping through, Kita read the same story that Corelia had shared. From Kodin acting erratically, to him seeking out the Zyreans. she was about to give up until she saw the end of the entry.

Kita read quietly to herself, "'My fear came true. Kodin has truly betrayed us. The twins had gotten into his head and twisted his will, and he opened the door for a brutal attack. I write this while recovering from a horrible injury...'"

There was more, but after spotting the word 'killed' in the mix, Kita looked away and closed the book. Finally, she was starting to get an idea in her head.

"Once again, Kodin is the key," Kita murmured. "Not just to the answers about my sickness, but to getting something from the Zyreans. Since I know the risks, I should be able to avoid..." She hesitated before changing the words. "I should be able to avoid what happened to him."

After taking a deep breath, Kita stored the book away, then walked the final distance to the edge of the eerie red stream. Repeating the process from yesterday, she threw her bag to the opposite bank, picked up Stud, then leaped from stone to stone.

Once he had been set down, Stud was able to speak, "I would say that we should camp on this side, because that cross is nerve-wracking, but I'm terrified of getting shot at."

"O-Oh," Kita stammered. "So am I. Honestly, I'm still not used to your talking, either."

Stud let out a pathetic 'bark' and let his tongue hang out. Kita laughed, feeling a bit less nervous. With him beside her, and her nerves just barely steeled, she began her trek.

Kita took extra care not to change direction. Alongside that, she would leave certain markers to tell where she was, such as a small animal's skull and a spiderweb with a berry stuck in it. After a ten-minute walk, more or less, she broke the silence.

"Maybe a different path will lead me to a different place," Kita remarked.

"Hopefully away from the sylph-hating demons," Stud responded.

While Kita wanted to agree with that, she knew better. They would have to confront the demons sooner or later.

"Aaaaaand, she's officially back."

As if on cue, Kita heard that voice and stopped moving. She tried not to move and she looked around, scared of provoking another gunfight.

To her left, there were two demons. She recognized the one with dark blue hair and a golden sword, but the other was unfamiliar. He had dark, desaturated green hair, a vibrant red vest, and a machete at his hip. His standoffish body language, with seafoam-green eyes that practically poured hatred, immediately put Kita on edge.

"Strange, huh?" the blue-haired demon remarked. "Terrified to be here, yet here nonetheless. It's not hard to spook her, either, watch..."

The same demon unsheathed frightening inch-long claws from slits in his fingertips, swiping them toward Kita. Surprised, she gasped and stepped back.

"See, Timbur? This can't be something Corelia planned."

Timbur sneered, "It's a pathetic rouse, to make us think she's harmless. She's up to something, and it only spells trouble for us."

"Trouble?" The blue-haired one repeated. "Does that look like a threat to you, even if it did try to fight us? I know everything's scary at your size, but still, we can take her."

"Shut up, Zin," Timbur growled.

Kita tried to speak, "I-I wasn't expecting to see you again. Greetings."

Zin arched one brow. "You should be thinking of one hell of an explanation, unless you want a repeat of yesterday's target practice."

"Why even give her the chance? Lousy maggot..." Timbur approached her menacingly. "You think you can just walk in here, taunt us, and get away with it? Maybe my idiotic siblings find it funny, but I'm not laughing."

For a moment, Kita was put off. He sounded intimidating, but this man was a couple of inches shorter than her, and relatively thin. It almost made her laugh, but just as fast as she noticed, she realized she didn't want to test a demon regardless.

Stud discreetly nudged her leg. "U-Um, Kita?"

Ignoring him, Kita replied, "I'm not trying to taunt you. I'm perfectly aware that I have no chance against a demon, so I don't want to start a fight. I have no proper training, no armor, and no one to help me. I do have a small dagger, but-"

Timbur immediately reached for his machete, his lip curling with anger.

"But it's not for people! I was only planning to use it as a tool, or to ward off forest vermin."

"Vermin, huh? Funnily enough, that's what I use mine for..." Timbur unsheathed his machete, putting it to her throat. "Want to see how well it works?"

Kita gulped nervously. "N-No, sir. I just want help, and I'm willing to pay somehow."

Zin laughed, "With everything you just listed, what kind of 'help' could you give?"

Timbur edged the blade deeper into her skin. "Exactly. Mortals are weak, useless, and I'm willing to bet no one will miss you if I make my point right now."

Kita gasped when another voice came from behind her.

"Timbur, hold your fire."

Kita slowly turned, until she could just barely see what was there. It blended so well with the shadows that she wondered how long it had been there without her knowledge.

Another unfamiliar demon, only this one looked very menacing. His skin was dust-gray, and his left eye was an iridescent dark blue. Severely chipped animal ears stuck out of his long black hair, which had gray roots and covered the right side of his face. He wore a dark gray shirt with a crimson vest visible at the waist, a black gauntlet on either arm, and black pants. A shortened, jagged, pale gold spear was holstered to his back. He was riddled with scars, with the deepest on his wrists, neck, and the bridge of his nose.

Seeing him, Kita was unnerved, but she quickly began to connect the dots. His voice and wicked aura were the first cues, but then she noticed the scarring on his hand. Burns along the knuckles, a puncture just visible at the wrist, and faded cuts all over. Then, she saw the weapon secured to his thigh by two small gray belts. An intricate silver dagger.

Visibly shaking, Stud whispered, "I tried to warn you."

Kita didn't even hear him, her panicked thoughts repeating, This is him! This is the man I heard, the night before!

The dark demon spoke to the others, "Do not forget that you're under orders."

Zin groaned, "What are sylphs good for, if not to attack?"

A glare from the one-eyed demon was enough to silence him, make Timbur assume a more respectful stance, and unnerve Kita even more than she already was. She kept her head down.

"Wh-Who are you?" She squeaked.

"Did you not pick that up in your notes?" The dark demon said almost tauntingly.

Kita didn't know how to respond. The dark demon kept a negative expression, but none of the eager bloodlust that the others had shown. Even his voice, while blunt and emotionless, sounded rather calm. She read him as a scary character, but not one to run screaming from. Not yet.

Kita gulped. "No. I was just, um..."

The dark demon spoke carelessly, "It's been established what you claim to want. What you failed to deliver is the reason we should even consider listening to you."

Kita helplessly stammered, "I-I really am trying to distance myself from Sybilius, right now."

"Will you shut up with that?" Timbur spat. "No one's buying the 'fleeing a corrupt queen' excuse, and I don't know why he's interested."

"Simple, there is still the obvious fact that she's here at all, which is a death sentence as soon as she nears the border. Much less crosses it and tries to make conversation with the enemy..." He aimed an almost taunting glare at her. "I believe there may be another problem driving this, but perhaps we've yet to find it."

Kita bit her lip, anxiously thinking, I can't remember exactly what I said to him, but I had to have hinted at my condition. He knows there's more. However, I just can't get the idea out of my head; if I say the full story, he'll think I'm crazy. I need to get to a more comfortable place first, so I'll stick to Kodin as my main point.

Kita cleared her throat. "I beg your pardon, sir..."

The demon's answer made Kita's heart plummet.

"Name's Leiytning."

Kita thought nervously, Oh gods. He's their leader! This is the same demon that Corelia herself was afraid of! Oh, if I mess up here, I'm doomed!

While she was silent, Timbur argued, "This is too risky to toy around with. Corelia's tried ploys before, and now seems like a good time to be bringing them up again. We can't risk getting caught in any traps. Let's just kill her."

Leiytning looked unamused. "I told you to behave. As for your assumption, Corelia's indeed tried a lot of tricks. However, what would be the reason for sending this into our territory, especially after the last wanderer we took in? Something tells me Zin was right, and this wasn't on her orders."

Timbur sneered, "Zin was right?"

Zin excitedly pumped his fist. "Yes! Eat it, Timbur!"

Timbur punched him, and Zin responded with a mocking face.

"And even though her deception is annoying and points to risks, the rarity of this is hard to ignore. Mutiny is not a common problem among sylphs, even for the poor and desperate. The way Sybilius is set up and ruled plays a crucial part, but it's also because of simple evolution. Sylphs are pure mortals. In this very broken world, that means they're prey. They clump together and avoid the hunting grounds, especially when it comes to demons."

To Kita's confusion, he grabbed her by the jaw and forced her to look up.

"I shall reluctantly admit, I am also confused by this," the leader muttered. "Is there a reason your eyes are this color, or will that lead to another lie?"

Annoyed, Kita murmured, "I was born, that's the closest to a reason I have."

Leiytning sneered, releasing her. "Don't start getting an attitude with me."

"Start doing that, and I will have you begging for his mercy," Timbur growled.

Zin groaned, "As 'fun' as this has been, we're not getting anywhere!"

"I've already told you everything," Kita insisted.

"Doubtful," Leiytning spat. "Try this; without thinking, tell me how you located the Blood Forest."

Kita blurted, "I took a map. I-It was in a library."

With just one signal, Timbur handed something to Leiytning. Kita was shocked to see him reveal the map -which she didn't even realize was lost until now.

"Admittedly, demons can't read Northern language. However, I've been around long enough to recognize Corelia's signature, and common sense would tell us that she's not in the habit of leaving her official documents in citizen-accessible libraries. Especially documents having to do with ongoing battles..." One of his unsheathed claws scraped the bottom of the page. "The only labels point to enemy territory."

"Way to be discreet, Corelia," Zin said sarcastically.

Leiytning lowered the map. "Knowing that royal pain in the ass, I still don't believe Corelia sent you here. However, you clearly had access to the Aubade Palace, which is suspicious enough. This, added to the fact that you were just caught in a lie with much simpler pretenses."

"You're not listening, though," Kita replied. "I'm not a normal sylph, I'm-"

Before she could react, Leiytning unsheathed his spear and jabbed the blunt end into her stomach, making her gasp and bite her tongue.

He hissed, "I don't care if you're the star of the goddamn freakshow, sylph, and don't try diverting. Your actions thus far have warranted an investigation, but they won't save you from the same fate as the 'normal sylphs' that have been burned or buried in this war."

Kita clenched her fists, but found herself too scared to retort.

Leiytning continued, "People of your ilk never do anything to help, you only manage to find more fascinating ways to screw things up. Now, you can either prove your life is worth more than five minutes of wasted time, or crawl back across that stream like the maggot you are. I'll make it even simpler for you..."

Leaving very little distance between them, Leiytning glowered down at her with hatred prominent in his language. Kita gulped nervously, fearing just one wrong move could provoke another hit -and in this case, her bloody demise.

"Start telling the truth," Leiytning said bitterly.

As she registered her situation, being at the mercy of a monster, Kita felt darkness cornering her vision. It was almost as if she was seeing through tiny tunnels in front of her eyes. Her head felt fuzzy, and no matter how much air she sucked into her lungs, it felt like it wasn't enough. In the back of her mind, she could hear the echoes of the last monster that stood before her, just like this.

"'You will listen to me. You will show me respect.'"

Kita instinctively ducked. As she tucked her arms over her stomach, she felt herself shuddering. She couldn't bring herself to raise her head again. It was taking all her strength just to stop herself from throwing up out of pure fear.

She heard Leiytning mutter, "You mortals are pathetic."

Kita finally managed to speak with a wavering voice, "S-Sorry I lied."

"I don't care if you're sorry," Leiytning spat. "Rectify, or face the consequences."

"I stole the map," Kita said weakly. "I got into the palace because I knew someone who worked there, then I snuck into a place I wasn't supposed to be in, and I found the map. I lied because I thought you wouldn't like me being associated with someone in the palace, even if it was minor."

"You're associated just by being a sylph!" Timbur argued. "That should be more than enough for us to kill you!"

"Slow down," Leiytning responded. "We obviously need to take everything with a grain of salt, but this does line up better with what we know. If she's finally speaking the truth, we can continue to restrain ourselves."

Timbur's ear twitched with irritation, while Kita let out a quiet breath of relief.

"Nevertheless, this progress can be easily reversed. So, mortal, why are you here?"

Kita froze and blurted, "Kodin!"

"Kodin?" Zin repeated. "This just got more suspicious."

"What do you know about that?" Timbur interrogated.

"I-I know that he was another fugitive," Kita stammered. "He betrayed Corelia and helped attack her. I'm useless in combat, myself, but I have the same problem. I'll do something else to help you."

She cringed when Leiytning responded.

"Pity. I thought we covered how bad you are at this."

Zin smirked deviously. "That's strike three, isn't it?"

Kita grew more afraid as Timbur unsheathed his machete, prompting Zin to do the same with his sword. A gesture from Leiytning prevented them from attacking, at least for now.

"It's just as I said, mortal. Your behavior got some attention, but it's not enough to warrant anything more than that. If this experience doesn't get rid of you for good, I'll play along one more time, but gambling with my patience is not wise. Get it through your skull; you can't fight, and you won't be trusted. Stop whatever it is you're trying to do and tell the damn truth. We both know that it's not Kodin you're here for, nor the war."

Zin chuckled, "You better start running!"

Panicked, Kita turned back and darted away, and with one glance over her shoulder, she saw Leiytning walking away as if nothing had happened at all.