Karnia

Getting closer to the capital city of Susaria, Elian could finally see people walking on the roads, living in the nearby small villages, and hastily built camps erected on the meadows. It was no longer like walking in an abandoned world now that they got further away from the part of the country the previous Hero had conquered. To his surprise, most of the people they walked past were not entirely human. Some looked completely bestial, whether it was rabbits, wolves, bulls, foxes, or lizards; the only human-like feature about them was that they walked, talked, and dressed like humans. Next to them were those who were a mix of the two, telling him that intermixing between the species was not that uncommon. Albeit, those were 90% human, only retaining part of their heritage in the form of animal-like ears and tails.

Lastly, and perhaps more importantly, they were not in a state of despair or fighting over space or the last piece of bread. Instead, they continued to live as usual and helped each other wherever they could. It made Elian feel excited... this was indeed a different world.

"A whole new life..." He whispered, turning towards the north.

By now, the mountains were genuinely lofty, their snowcapped tops hiding amongst clouds and a spreading blanket of mist. Yet, standing on the last hill before descending to a vast valley, his eyes were fixated not on the grey peaks but on the giant city before him. From where he stood, it looked as if, in ancient times, a meteor had landed here, leaving behind a multiple-kilometer-wide crater where, at the bottom, it bloomed into a sprawling metropolis.

"Here we are, Karnia!" Sakku said happily, standing next to Elian and looking at the road that led down towards the city.

"How many people live here?" Elian asked, taking in the scenery, feeling amazed and awed.

"Right now? Four to five million. Usually, it's half of that, but many of the loyalists had rushed here, hoping to be protected."

"I could see why!"

He wasn't lying. From their standpoint, the city was built like a series of concentric circles, resulting in five distinct layers. The innermost layer housed a massive building, a mix of elements that resembled a medieval castle and a modern fortress. It wasn't hard to tell that the ruling family must have lived there, while every other circle was larger than the previous one, providing homes for the people, filled with thousands of different buildings, right down to the last and closest layer to them. Although it was the largest, it was also the least crowded, as it had numerous farms and giant windmills spinning ever so slowly in the wind. It was the layer that clearly produced the food for the whole city, making it self-sufficient even in these times.

"I see the sixth one being built, huh...?" Elian whispered, making Sakku stop and think about it before giggling and shaking her head.

"There probably won't be a new one. The five districts are ancient. The sixth was simply planned to be a massive wall when the... Lich Queen appeared. Those people who have built a temporary home around the walls are just a momentary solution. They will go home after the war is over... The moment it is done, everyone can be free again, and we can start living." She murmured, shaking her head, "For now, we will head to the second layer, where the army headquarters are, so we can report your appearance!"

"Woah, woah, slow down!" Elain grunted, halting her from breaking into a dash. "I don't think that is a good idea."

"Why?" Sakku asked as she stopped, not understanding his sudden hesitation.

"Just think. Your previous Hero has turned into the Big V villain... Now you waltz in with another? I don't think people would trust me at all. I wouldn't..."

"They are not like that!"

"Who knows!" He argued, thinking that Sakku may have a problem with seeing the bad in people. Were all ryuins like that? No wonder Dalen managed to do what he did if none of them suspected him of it. There had to be signs he was unwilling to return, but they may not have even noticed it. "Look, what I'm saying is to take it more seriously and cautiously. Okay?"

"Mmm... what do you mean?" she asked, looking a bit puzzled and troubled, sitting down in an upright position, nervously playing with her front paws.

"Damn, you are adorable..." Elian murmured, looking at her giant eyes, shaking his head to refocus his thoughts, "Look, I will help, but I don't know anything about this place or, honestly, about myself or my powers."

"That's why they can help you with that!"

"What I'm saying is that we should not waltz in and tell them: Hey, listen, do you know that murdering menace we summoned? Yeah, I brought over a second one. This one will work, for sure, trust me!"

"..."

"Do you... understand what I mean?" He asked after an uncomfortably long pause, watching Sakku think and lower her head.

"Um... s-sorry... Y-you... you are right, I... I just..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay!" He gasped, hurrying to pick her up and starting to walk again, stopping her from suddenly starting to cry. Soothing her, carrying Sakku in his hands as they neared the city, he continued, "I was a bit blunt, sorry. The thing is, we can't rush this. First, let's take it step by step. I will go sign up as a soldier and undergo basic training, and if my powers start to show themselves, we can advance from there. What do you say?"

"Um, I will listen to you..." She nodded, quickly getting back into a good mood, happy to be carried and enjoying the gentle head pats. "Heroes always know best!"

"Ugh, no, that is not true, and don't call me a Hero when others are around. More importantly, don't be afraid to say no to me and challenge me, okay? I could make bad decisions, but I do feel that this time, I am right..."

Entering the city proved to be more straightforward than Elian had initially thought. He was ready for a million questions, interrogations, and maybe even being refused entry. Still, the moment everyone saw Sakku in his arms, they only asked for his name before stepping out of the way and letting them in. No matter where they went, people were looking at them, or more precisely, at Sakku. They were whispering, glaring, and getting out of their way as if they were simultaneously carrying the plague and being famous celebrities. It was... weird.

"It is my fault..." she murmured, becoming an even smaller furball in his arms. "Being a ryuin will draw some eyes to you; I'm so sorry..."

"I can deal with it; at least it made our trip into the city a breeze." He whispered, feeling Sakku softly tremble in his arms, "I expected trouble... Huh. Your kind... were you all famous or something? I guess so, being Hero summoners and all. Or is it because of what happened?"

"I... I'm not sure; I had never given it much thought." She answered after thinking about it, "But we always had people coming to us, asking us for help because we were the best when it came to being friends!" The way she exclaimed, twisting her little body, her eyes beaming with happiness, it was clear she meant it.

"What do you mean by helping others? Healing?"

"Um... no, but we could make them feel happy. When things didn't work out, we made others smile and helped them calm down when they were angry. We loved doing it; we always thought about making friends and stopping people from fighting and doing bad things! It is best when we can all be friends and enjoy life together!"

It was hard to imagine, but the deep conviction in her voice as she spoke about it made Elian believe her. Then he also realized she wasn't lying. Nothing bothered him when he held her or while he slept. It was indeed like a calming spell, keeping him able to ignore the constant gazes as they walked through the first layer. He felt peaceful, collected, and focused simply because he held her and stroked her head, not even noticing the whispers and pointed fingers. Was this what she meant? Did the ryuins hold some weird power that made it possible for them to summon a Hero and calm everyone down? What he didn't say was that there was a limit to its effect, or Sakku wouldn't be the last of her kind...

Elian didn't want her to pick up on his sudden, dark thoughts, so he let his eyes wander, moving towards the vast fields between the two giant stone walls of the two outermost layers. Looking at the golden crops and the windmills with their spinning sails, it was a beautiful and idyllic scene, something worthy of hanging on a wall as a painting. Even the forty-meter-high walls didn't look oppressive from here... Instead, they gave a feeling of security and safety within their protective hug.

"What is that?" Elian asked, his eyes settling on the giant banners and flags gently flapping in the wind. Their color was a mix of crimson and golden halves, while in the middle of the flags, a regal symbol of a flaming bird with outstretched wings could be seen.

"That is the symbol of Susaria! It is the Aspect of the very first Hero, who chased away the evil dragons!"

"Eagle? Raven... no, the shape and colors are not right. Hawk? No... What was that bird?"

"Hehe, you wouldn't guess it anyway because that species is long gone! There are only legends about them because they were extinct before the dragons were chased away." She explained happily, clearly loving the topic and taking pride in Susaria's history.

"Wait... is that fire that surrounds its shape?" Elian asked, noticing the flaming motifs as they approached the second layer. "Is that... a phoenix?"

"Hauh... I wanted to say that..." She mumbled, now sounding disappointed, but only for a minute before happily giggling. "But yes! Exactly! It is!"