Chapter 8 - A Zyrean Field Guide

As the light coming through the window became notably brighter, Kita turned her head to look.

Last night, after returning from her talk with Corelia, she was able to get a little over an hour of sleep. It was just enough to refresh her mind a bit, so with hours to think quietly, she focused on remembering what she learned and what she wanted to do. Soon, the base of a plan had formed. The risks made her nervous, anxiety was making her second-guess everything, and she already felt like she was in over her head. However, going back now would render her stuck again, and she couldn't stomach the idea of another hellish night.

After a while, Mao began to stir in the other bed, and Kita took that as her cue to get moving. She sat up and stretched.

Mao yawned, "Please tell me you slept well."

Kita gave a faint smirk and nodded. "Better."

"Great!" Mao remarked.

"I talked with her majesty, last night. She told me more about the symbol."

"Wow, really? I knew she'd be helpful! What is it?"

"I'll explain it in the carriage.”

Mao furrowed her brow. "Carriage?"

“Yeah,” Kita replied. "I thought you and I would go back to Lion's Bridge to explain everything to Yuna. Afterward, I'm going to head back."

Mao now looked uneasy. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Kita? I don't know if you should be alone right now, and that much traveling will sap your energy."

"I'll be fine. Her majesty has me on the right track."

Mao still seemed uneasy, trying to think to herself as she finally got out of bed.

While her friend was occupied, Kita took a rolled-up piece of paper from under her pillow -the same page she had taken from Corelia's observatory last night. She then got up and went behind a floral-patterned dressing screen in the corner of the room. Unrolling the page revealed exactly what she hoped for.

A map of Sybilius and some surrounding land. There were several notes and labels that she didn't understand, but it was just enough for her.

With Stud watching, Kita traced a path from the marker for the Royal City, directly south to the prominent border.

Kita whispered under her breath, "The Blood Forest. That was the territory she mentioned. It may be tiny, but I wasn't expecting it to be directly south of the palace. No wonder they're able to cause so much trouble."

"Hello, Kita?" Mao spoke from across the room. "What's taking so long?"

"Nothing..." Kita silently rolled the map back up. "I was just trying to make my clothes look slightly less horrible."

She hid the map back in her boot, saw that Mao was waiting on her, then immediately turned to the door.

"We should get going," Kita remarked.

Mao crossed her arms. "I don't like this new secret-keeping strategy."

Kita shrugged her shoulders. "It's not a secret if I plan to tell you. Come on."

While Mao started rambling about breakfast ideas, Kita stepped outside -only to trip on a black cloth bag. Opening it revealed some books and scrolls inside. A folded note was lying on top, with her name written on it.

Kita wasn’t surprised as she read the note.

'Here are the books you asked for. It's everything I can let you have, and there is no rush to return them. I'm sorry I won't be able to see you off, but I wish you the best of luck and hope you feel better soon.

- Corelia'

"Hey, what's this junk doing here?" Mao ranted.

"It's from her majesty," Kita replied. "I asked for some books."

Kita stuffed the note into her pocket, then picked up the bag and whistled for Stud to follow. Mao stayed next to her as they made their way through the halls, trying to move fast.

"Stud, you better not run away again," Kita said warily.

"No kidding," Mao muttered.

Naturally, the dog didn't respond. He just trotted alongside them.

Eventually, the small group reached the grand foyer, passing the thrones. At the opposite end of the violet rug, the large gates seemed less ominous than before. Once Kita left, the guards watching her like hawks, she began searching the street for a smaller carriage.

Mao sighed, "Am I going to have to find another-"

"Miss! Excuse me, miss!"

Kita froze up, confused as a male sylph ran over to her. His brown hair stuck out in several directions, and even though he was dressed poorly, he had a gold pendant and ring.

"Excuse me," he panted. "Are you Kita Rein?"

"Um, yes," Kita replied.

"Who's asking?" Mao interrogated.

When the man looked straight at them, he flinched. Kita already knew that he was baffled by her strange eyes, but she bit her tongue. Thankfully, he kept any remarks to himself, which wasn’t always the case in these situations.

“S-So…” He awkwardly cleared his throat. “A representative of her majesty hired me to give you a ride to Lion's Bridge. Does that sound right?"

"I guess so,” Kita replied.

Mao laughed, "She's always one step ahead of us."

The driver pointed behind him. "Hop in and we'll be off."

Kita followed him to a black cart. Four reddish-brown armequus were hooked to it with several black straps. Kita hopped in and set the bag next to her, on the deep teal seat with lavender trim. Mao took the other seat, and Stud took the remaining space beside her.

There was a noticeable jerk as the armequus began hauling the cart.

"Not nearly as tipsy-turvy as the first one," Mao remarked. "Anyway, now that we're here, you better start talking."

Kita took a deep breath. Even though she had done a lot of planning last night, it was still a lie she had in mind. A very big lie, and telling it to her loyal friend felt wrong.

I can't tell her what I'm planning, nor where I really want to go, but I have to include at least part of the truth. It'll make me feel a little better about this.

"Is it that troubling?" Asked Mao.

"N-No," Kita stammered. "Just surprising. We are not allowed to share this with anyone though, okay? Her majesty literally called it a royal secret, and she said she'd never tell us if it weren't for the situation."

"Wow, it sounds important.”

"Mao, I mean it. Tell me you'll keep this between us."

"Okay, okay!”

“Good…” Kita took a deep breath. “The symbol represents a tribe of demons. They do exist, and the shopkeeper was wrong; this tribe may be only seven people now, but they're still alive."

Mao’s green eyes went wide. "Really?"

Kita nodded. "One type of them is particularly aggressive toward us, and they're led by what Queen Corelia herself described as 'one of the most feared and powerful beings in the Northern Territories.' Just my luck, for whatever reason, the same symbol that's been driving me insane happens to be the emblem of that exact tribe."

"Oh, dear gods," Mao murmured. "Why is this connected to you?"

"Believe me, I don't get it either, but there has to be something. And because her majesty is so restrictive with the information, I'd feel better exploring this on my own."

Mao pouted. "I don't like the thought of leaving you alone. Not just because I'm worried about your condition, but because there are so many unknown factors and meanings here. You didn't even give me a timeline."

"You can visit after I've settled in. Just give me enough time to figure out how long this'll take. It could be a few days, or it could be a month."

"A whole month?" Mao whined.

Kita sighed, "It was your idea to bring me here, so I'm making the most of it. Besides, I have the feeling that this is going to get worse before it gets better. I don’t want to drag you any further into this.”

"Hm..." Mao looked away, murmuring, "This doesn't feel right."

Kita started rifling through the bag. "Well, I want to do some reading, so you have time to think about it.”

Thankfully, that got Mao to remain silent, and Kita breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She didn't want to argue with her for the whole ride.

As Kita pulled one book from the bag, she noticed a lot of wear around the cover. Likewise, the pages inside were yellow and withered from age.

Mao shuddered. "I won't complain, but those books smell like moths and mold."

"They sure don't look new," Kita murmured. "They almost look ancient. That makes them more interesting though, right?"

Mao's non-response revealed that she didn't agree. Kita ignored her and read the white cursive letters on the cover, still clear despite the rest of the book’s deterioration.

'Field Guide - Demonic Races Vol. 2 - Zyrean Demon'

Kita flipped through the pages, stopping at a chapter on their anatomy. She started to read it in her head.

'Through my study, I have finally been able to pinpoint a salvageable corpse from a Zyrean. To say it was hard would be an understatement, but I did it. One step closer to uncovering the many mysteries surrounding this extremely hostile enemy. The following account is what I’ve found in my dissection.'

Kita shuddered at the mere thought.

She kept reading; 'Like most demon species, no matter how built the creature is, their underlying flesh is spindly and stringy. It's almost like rotten meat, and just like their blood, it's all black. Their bones are thicker and more plentiful than ours, and they're extremely difficult to break. Strangely, they have no real internal organs, yet they can supposedly eat without a stomach, breathe without lungs, and so forth. I've yet to determine how that's possible.'

Kita lowered the book, rubbing her temple.

"Is it hard to read?" Asked Mao.

"Yes, but not for the reason you're thinking of," Kita muttered.

The book continued, 'This anatomy does explain why they can take shots to the body better than mortals, and why their primary weak point is the spine. However, cutting deep enough to cause damage is difficult, and much like us, they are very well aware of their weaknesses.'

Kita gulped nervously and flipped the page.

'Fighting demons is not easy because of this unnatural structure, but if you are burdened with this task, don't think any primal swords will do the trick. You need the finest metals our world has to offer, or an enchanted blade. Otherwise, your basic steel will bend and bow. Like hitting a tree, you may cause some damage, but it'll be nothing in comparison.'

Again, Kita was annoyed, realizing that she had no chance of obtaining such a weapon.

She took a while to keep reading through the book, Mao sometimes interrupting to check in with her. Most of the content didn't seem helpful; it just told her more about anatomy, magic, and common fighting styles. It touched a bit on their culture, but not much.

Trying another record, Kita pulled out a scroll secured by a white ribbon. The paper’s exterior was labeled in dark violet ink, and as she unraveled the long document, she was surprised to see some more specific information.

Mao tilted her head to read. "'The Seven Survivors.' You said there were seven people left, right?"

Kita nodded. "That’s the subject here. It looks like there are some more details on the two Corelia mentioned. Thundur, the spirit-walker, is deceptive and mainly uses aura magic. Leiytning, the leader, is an electric elemental, but he's even more dangerous with a blade."

"Anyone is more dangerous with a blade," Mao remarked.

Kita laughed a bit, "Fair enough. By the way, I think there was a mistranslation somewhere..." She turned the page around. "I'm sure it's pronounced 'lightning and thunder,' but look at how their names are spelled."

As soon as she spotted the names, Mao laughed, "That's so strange! It must be a clash of alphabets, like in some of the elven stories."

Kita scanned the page again. "As for the other five, I can only see information on what's referred to as a 'beta.' He's extremely aggressive, one of the strongest warriors, and-"

Suddenly, the driver shouted, "We're here!"

Kita was confused, but as she glanced out the window, she was shocked to see that the sun was high above them. It had to be a little while after noon.

Through the small windows, the two girls saw the carriage coming to a stop in the town square of Lion's Bridge. Kita grabbed the bag of books and stepped outside, inhaling the familiar air of local pastries and orange flowers. Stud dashed outside as soon as the door was open, eagerly staring down the road to Kita’s house.

The driver got off his seat and approached. "Everything was paid for in advance, so you're good to go."

Checking that Mao was distracted, Kita replied, "Would you mind waiting for a moment? I'd like to go back with you."

The man looked shocked. "I spent the whole morning driving you here, and you want to go back?"

"Not to the city, but in that area," Kita explained. "It's complicated, I just needed to drop off Mao and my dog, talk to someone, and pick up a few things. I'll pay you."

"I guess I'm going back either way," the man muttered. "But goddammit, it's people like you who make this job miserable..."

Kita bit her tongue, knowing it could be worse.

The man sighed, "Fine. Make it quick."

"I will," Kita replied. "I'll be right back."

The driver nodded, returning to his seat. Meanwhile, as Mao took off running, Kita rushed down the road with her. It felt strange to be so active in her village for once, but she refused to linger on the thought.

Though Kita intended to make it across the bridge, she realized that their target was waiting on a bench near her own house. Yuna seemed lost in thought until Mao raced by, making her lurch up with shock. Likewise, as soon as Mao spotted her, she shifted course and spun to a halt in front of Yuna.

"Good, you're here!" Mao chimed.

Yuna crossed her arms, a look of silent interrogation on her face. "What the heck is going on, where have you been, and where is Kita?"

Kita waved to her. "I'm right here."

"Good," Yuna remarked. "Now I need answers. I was looking for you yesterday, last night, and this morning! Mao's note barely explained anything, and Kita, your room was a wreck!”

"Her majesty had us stay overnight," Mao replied. "We got some answers, finally!"

"Her majesty? You went to the Aubade Palace?!"

Kita nodded toward her house. "Can we discuss it inside?"

Mao and Yuna were quick to agree, so Kita led the way into her small house. In the living area, Mao jumped onto the sofa. Yuna sat next to her, while Kita took her preferred spot directly in front of the fireplace. Even though there was no fire, it was a force of habit by now.

"Alright, go on," Yuna insisted.

Kita slowly began to explain the horrible sequence of events that led them to the city, skipping the more unsettling parts. When she reached the point of getting into the palace and meeting Corelia, the tension grew.

Kita continued, "Her majesty returned at night. I talked to her while Mao was asleep. I learned that the symbol represents another tribe, just like the shopkeepers told us. What we didn't know is that it's a tribe of demons."

Yuna suddenly froze, her teeth clenched. She looked like she had been stabbed.

Kita looked into the fireplace. "As her majesty said, she knew all about the symbol's meaning, but not how it pertains to me. She doesn't know where I would've seen it, either."

Yuna kept her eyes down. "Of all the creatures this had to involve, it's them?"

Kita furrowed her brow. "Are you implying that you knew demons existed before all this?"

Yuna remained silent for a moment, then sighed, "I wasn't allowed to talk about it. I didn't want to anyway. I only know because of what I saw when I was little. You…” She gained a dark look in her gray-blue eyes. “You remember what I told you about my family, right?"

The subject immediately hit Kita with a sense of shock, guilt, and empathy. Remembering Yuna's story wasn't easy; one of the reasons that she was so mature was that she was forced to take the role at a young age, after her parents had been brutally murdered.

Yuna explained, "It wasn't actually sylphs that did the crime. It was a group of demons that sneaked into Sybilius. The only reason why, as far as I ever learned, was that they just wanted to 'make an example for the rest of the mortals.'"

Kita felt something catch in her throat, blocking her response -if she had one.

"That should give you an idea. They exist, alright, and they're horrible people. I don't even know if they are people. They were savage, and sometimes, I still see them in my nightmares. Fangs, claws, hideous jagged swords, flames like they came straight from hell..."

"They don’t sound like people,” Mao murmured.

Yuna sighed, "Is that all this is? You had to know what the emblem represented?"

Kita shook her head. "This isn't over, but I'm on the right track. With her majesty's help, I'm going back to the city to learn more. Something about this conflict has to connect to me."

"It's a horrible idea, right?" Asked Mao. "We shouldn't be leaving her alone!"

"I told you, I can't let you join me. I don't want to risk getting you in trouble if more sensitive information comes out. Honestly, I don't think I was supposed to tell you this much. Trust me, you should wait here, give me some time and space, then I'll come back on my own when I'm feeling better. I’ll have the queen's help in the meantime."

Mao opened her mouth to protest, but Yuna cut her off with one calm, simple statement.

"She's right."

"What?!" Mao cried. "How can you like that plan?"

"I'll admit, I feel like our support would be helpful. However, if Kita's in the care of Queen Corelia, I doubt we'll have to worry. Besides, now that we've gotten the point across, it could help to give her a little bit of space."

Mao looked sadder, then sighed and slumped into the chair. "I don't want anything bad to happen while we're gone."

Kita tried to wear a reassuring smile. "It's alright, Mao. I'll return after this is over, and everything will go back to normal."

"I believe in you," Yuna remarked. "Just be careful and write to us when you can. We really worry about you."

"You made that clear enough," Kita agreed. She glanced at the clock. "Sorry to say, I can't stay in this house all night. I better get going."