A new beginning

Minutes earlier. From the perspective of Saya.

“I need to hear what they will discuss. Maybe she’s its ally, and they are preparing a new plan to recreate the same events from fifty years ago, just like I discovered during my research. I need to stop them.”

She was walking quickly and on her toes to avoid making any sound, following them with the help of Tracker. She was stressed.

“What if it’s a trap? They know I’m here, so it would be logical for them to eliminate me if I overhear some private and important conversation.”

She was turning left, right, left, right, keeping up with them while remaining as discreet as possible.

“Look, Father. I learned in your private documents how Grandfather managed to destabilize the creature in order to defeat it the first time. I will do the same to make it listen to me and influence it to join us!”

As she turned left one last time, she arrived at the fortification wall. But she was just standing in front of a viscous, dark box. She knew they were inside.

“I can’t hear or see them… they anticipated everything… What do I do now? I think I’ll wait. I’ll be the one setting a trap for them.”

She leaned against the wall, waiting. As time passed, she grew impatient and was about to try destroying the box. But she stopped as voices echoed from inside. She noticed tiny holes that made it possible to hear. However, instead of revealing her presence, she listened carefully.

“Human… not a monster… good actions… regrets… nightmares… pain… suffering… What a horrible life he had. How could someone endure so much?”

Tears welled up in her eyes. At Iwao’s voice, she realizes he was telling the truth. She was overwhelmed and lost. All her research meant nothing. This was not the same monster from fifty years ago. He had changed. She couldn’t use the technique of her grandfather against him. 

Suddenly, she heard Celi asking Iwao to join her and form a team. Saya didn’t hesitate another second. She took position, raised her hand in front of her, closed her eyes, then snapped them open again. A small flame shot out at high speed and entered one of the holes in the box. 

A moment of silence followed – then a muffled explosion. The box disintegrated, leaving no trace of the viscous material.

******************************

Iwao, fists clenched and ready in case she attacked, had no real desire to fight her, knowing he could easily hurt her if so. At worst, he only intended to knock her out. He hadn’t sensed her presence inside the barrier and was caught off guard. 

Celi, holding her sword in one hand and a spell ready to cast in the other, showed on her face that she wasn’t joking. Yet both of them froze when they saw Saya’s tears.

“Let me join you. I made a mistake misjudging you. You’re not like the documents described. I want to help you. If you share your pain not just with this adventurer but with both of us, I’m sure you will regain your humanity.” Saya said, choking on her tears.

For someone who had always gotten everything she wanted, she had never once imagined people could suffer this much – that everything could be taken away from them. The realization was brutal for her.

Neither Celi nor Iwao would have expected a princess to show empathy. They looked at each other, unsure what to do. But something Saya said disturbed Iwao. Still, it was Saya who spoke first.

“A question has been running through my head. How did you become a monster if you were once human?”

Iwao stayed calm. This information was a secret, and he would reveal nothing.

“You don’t need to know. That is my business. But something bothers me. What documents are you talking about concerning me?” Iwao asked in an intimidating tone, trying to assert dominance and force her to answer.

“Well… you don’t have to know for now. I don’t know if speaking about it might revive memories he could have lost – if that’s what really happened. I need to be careful.”

“I need to know! I knew you were following me for the past five months with a spell. When you entered the forest, did you think I couldn’t see you? You were wrong. How could I not notice a woman in an orange dress in the middle of the forest. More obviously, my aura extended throughout the place. Even if you could only sense it when near me, I could feel your presence everywhere within the forest. With one of my spells, I discovered which one you had cast on me. At first, I thought you didn’t mean harm. I ate nightmares in which I saw you and learned who you were. I thought that, with Tracker, you would watch me from afar and witness my good deeds. As someone with high status, I believed you could help me with my requests by speaking a word to the king. But in reality, you were just hoping I was something else – something you could learn how to kill. Isn’t that right?” Iwao shouted, his anger rising as Saya’s evasive answers denied him the truth.

“That’s how he knew me… No! It’s not like that! I wanted to talk to you, to convince you to join me and the kingdom in the war! You are powerful and-” Saya collapsed to her knees, crying, as her intentions crumbled under Iwao’s words.

“Wait, Iwao. You’re scaring her. Didn’t you promise not to do that again?” Celi intervened, snapping him back to his senses.

She was waiting on the side, thinking about the situation as nobody cared about her. She had already sheathed her sword and was thinking with her hand on her chin. She glanced at Iwao with a serious but slightly amused smile. She had a good idea.

“I think this could be a good opportunity. Think about it. With what she learned tonight, and what she might learn later, she could change her mind about you and help with her influence as a princess. Personally, I think we should take her into the team. To destroy my barrier, she must be powerful too – an advantage for the battles ahead.”

Celi didn't know that the barrier could have exploded so easily because it had already been weakened earlier. Saya nodded eagerly in agreement. Iwao lowered his fists. He wasn’t happy, but he calmed down. Walking in a circle with his hand on his face, he thought.

“But aren’t you afraid of me?” He asked.

“Yes… but I will do everything to overcome my fear, I promise. And if you are truly a good person, it will be easier!” Saya replied firmly, despite the tears streaming down her face.

Celi helped Saya back to her feet. Iwao was overwhelmed by the situation. It was the first time that people truly cared about him – even in his past life he never had this chance. He didn't want to let it slip away just because of caution.

“Fine, I’ll accept – for now. But I’ll keep an eye on you to avoid betrayal. I have a plan for my own goals, and I’ve also thought of one for your mission, Celi. I’ll tell you both later. Come back tomorrow at dusk, in the ruins near the city. I’ll be waiting. We will make presentations and talk about all of this.”

That was how the three of them agreed to form a team to pursue their goals. Tensions would be inevitable, since they barely knew each other, but with what they already shared, they knew they were all powerful allies.

Iwao—the terrifying creature, part human inside, devourer of nightmares, user of all sorts of spells in addition of his natural strength, speed, and monstrous abilities.

Celi—the clever adventurer, skilled with a sword, able to see the unseen and cast powerful spells that only one who understood the deep secrets of Firia could wield.

Saya Benegram—princess of the Polmo kingdom, a high status woman with the strong will to serve her father and her realm. She possessed mastery over some types of magic and secrets spells taught only to the royalty.

This team was far from ordinary, but with what they were about to do, they could change the kingdom forever.

ARC 1: How it started | Finished