----Chapter 2----
"A monster?"
I echoed, my voice barely audible over the rustling Aethergrass.
A cool breeze whispered through the meadow, carrying the scent of damp earth and something else… acrid and unfamiliar, like burnt metal and ozone.
I scanned the treeline, my heart pounding. I didn't see anything, but the red auras around Deran and Kaleen were undeniable.
They were definitely hiding something.
"Just stay behind us, kid," Deran said, drawing his sword. The steel glinted in the light, reflecting in his narrowed eyes.
"We'll protect you."
Protect me? or used me as Bait?
I thought, my mind racing. I had no idea what kind of monster they were talking about, but I wasn't about to blindly trust them.
A shiver ran down my spine, lingering dampness or growing dread?
"What kind of monster are we talking about?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Kaleen chuckled, nocking an arrow.
"Oh, you know… the usual. Goblins, maybe a stray wolf. Nothing we can't handle."
But as he spoke, the red aura around him intensified, flickering like a dying flame.
A bead of sweat trickled down his temple, quickly wiped away.
My eyes narrowed.
"Goblins and wolves don't usually require that much… preparation," I said, gesturing towards Deran's drawn sword. Deran's jaw tightened, a flicker of annoyance.
Deran's smile faltered.
"We're just being cautious," he said, a little too loud.
"Always better to be safe than sorry." He shifted his weight, his hand moving towards his sword hilt.
"Indeed," Zeberu's voice echoed, laced with amusement.
"Observe their deception, Hiroki. They believe you naive, easily manipulated. Prove them wrong… or lead them on. Their desperation is… amusing."
Desperation? What are they so desperate for?
I thought, clenching my fists.
Was that my thought, or Zeberu's? I glanced at the mountains, calculating the distance. I doubted I could outrun them, especially if there was a monster.
•••••
"So," I said, forcing a smile.
"Where is this town you're heading to?"
"It's called Iskervale,"
Kaleen replied, relaxing slightly.
The red aura dimmed, replaced by a flicker of orange.
"A few hours' walk. A nice, quiet little place."
"Quiet?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you said there were monsters around."
"There are,"
Deran interjected.
"But Iskervale has walls. It's safe inside."
He hesitated, his gaze darting towards the trees.
"Relatively safe, anyway."
"Iskervale is usually quiet, but lately… there's been some worry. A group of rookie adventurers went missing a few days ago. Never made it back from a simple patrol."
Walls that keep the monsters out… or the people in? I wondered.
I decided to play along. I needed to learn more about this world, the auras, and what Zeberu wanted.
"Alright,"
I said, feigning reluctance.
"I guess I don't have much of a choice. Lead the way."
••••
As we started walking, I focused on the auras.
The intensity of the red seemed to fluctuate depending on what they were saying.
When they were being truthful, the aura dimmed. If they were lying, it flared.
Fleeting flickers of other colors – orange when Kaleen seemed amused, a brief flash of blue when Deran mentioned Iskervale.
It's like a living lie detector, I thought.
But how did it work? Was it tied to their emotions? Their intentions? Or something else?
"Ask them about the mud on their boots,"
Zeberu suggested, a low hum in my mind.
"It will be… enlightening. And perhaps, a little entertaining."
I hesitated. I didn't want to reveal that I could see something they couldn't.
But Zeberu wouldn't have suggested it without a reason. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the feeling that I was being manipulated.
"So,"
I said, casually.
"Where were you guys before you found me? You've got a lot of mud on your boots."
Deran and Kaleen exchanged a quick glance. The red auras flared up, brighter than ever.
"We were… hunting," Deran said, his voice strained.
"In the swamp."
"The swamp?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't see any swamp on the way here."
And even if there was a swamp, would it leave that much mud?
"It's… off the main path," Kaleen added, his voice equally strained.
Deran's hand tightened on his sword hilt, and Kaleen's eyes darted away, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. They were lying, and badly.
"We were tracking a particularly nasty beast."
He swallowed hard, his eyes darting towards the trees.
"A beast that requires you to lie about it?"
Zeberu interjected, dripping sarcasm.
The swamp is a convenient excuse, Hiroki. But what lies beneath the mud? What secrets are they trying to bury?
"How fascinating."
I ignored Zeberu's comment and pressed on.
"What kind of beast?"
Deran and Kaleen hesitated again. The red auras were practically blinding.
"A… griffin," Deran finally said, barely a whisper.
My eyes widened. A griffin? Like the ones on the coins in my pocket? I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing the cold metal.
Those aren't just decorations, are they?
Were they mine? Or did they belong to someone else, someone who wasn't coming back?
"A griffin?" I repeated, incredulously. "Those are just myths."
"Not in this world, kid," Kaleen said, his voice grim.
"Not in this world."
••••
As Kaleen spoke, a low growl echoed through the forest, followed by the snapping of twigs.
The air grew heavy, and the scent of burnt metal and ozone intensified, making my nostrils burn.
A flock of birds burst from the trees, scattering in panicked flight.
Then, the ground began to tremble. The Aethergrass pulsed with an erratic light, the colors shifting wildly, mirroring the unease in my stomach.
Distant roars echoed through the trees, growing closer, each one sending a tremor through the earth.
"What's happening?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Trouble," Zeberu replied, suddenly serious.
"Big trouble. This is no mere griffin… this is something far older, far more dangerous. Something… connected."
Before I could react, the trees in front of us exploded outwards, splintering and crashing.
A monstrous roar echoed, shaking the air. The ground shook again, and the trees swayed violently, scattering bursts of Aethergrass.
Deran and Kaleen drew their weapons, their faces pale. The red auras died, replaced by a vibrant, pulsating green.
What does the green mean?
I asked, barely a whisper.
"Fear,"
Zeberu replied.
"They are terrified… and so should you be. This creature… it feeds on the very essence of this land. It is a blight upon the Aether."
A shadow fell over us, and I looked up.
I stared into the heart of the Aetherwyrm's luminous form, a swirling vortex of light and shadow.
Suddenly, a searing pain erupted in my chest, as if my very soul was being torn apart. I gasped, clutching at my chest, my vision blurring.
I saw a color within the Aetherwyrm, a color I hadn't seen before, a color that seemed to resonate with the pain in my chest. It was a deep, pulsing violet.
"Corruption,"
Zeberu whispered.