Crown Red City

 Servant 4: “We have found someone to be of service to you, my lord. Her name is Raven Blackwood.”

An old woman walked in walking with a cane. She was so old and frail that it looked as if she could be blown away from a gust of wind. Jotaro became angered at the sight of the woman and began to cuss out his servant to go find another witch.

The old woman transformed into a tall lady with short purple hair. Her eyes were bright blue and shined like the stars. Her clothing was risky in its own way. A red sparkly dress encompassed her voluptuous body. Her facial features were perfect and could sway the heart of any man that she made contact with.

Raven: “What’s this now about too old? Is this form better for you sweetie?”

Jotaro stared at her body up and down, completely forgetting his goal. His mind was going blank with the seductive figure in front of him. The old hag had turned into the most beautiful woman in the world. He couldn’t shake her glistening eyes before his servant spoke out to him.

Jotaro: “Ah, ah, yes. Indeed you are no old woman. How did you do that trick?”

Raven: “I’m a witch sweetheart. I can do almost anything you can think of.”

Jotaro: “Oh, I-I like the sound of that. Okay, let’s get down to business. I’m sure my servant has informed you of the plan. What are your thoughts on this? Can you do it and do you need help?”

Raven: “Oh, I know about the plan. I have some people who are willing to help. It’s going to cost extra…I mean a lot extra.”

Jotaro: “Fine. That’s fine with me. I only need the remaining chaplets of what my father needs, however, if you do end up finding them quickly, then getting all 70 again would be great. I made a list of the last 35 that he needs. It’s going to be tough, but I’m paying you big money for this. Some people might already have them too, but I trust that you are good enough to find those people and bring me those chaplets.”

Raven: “Of course. I am at your request, and when I’m done…I can be at your service even more.”

She winked at Jotaro as she exited the room. The servant outside the door gave her the list of chaplets needed as her heels echoed throughout the floors and rooms. Jotaro laid back down on his bed with his arms crossed and fell asleep dreaming about how happy he would be when Raven recovered the chaplets he needed. He forgot to ask her how long it would take, but assumed that she knew what she was doing. All he could think of right now was her beautiful face.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Astro, Welpen, and Ezra finally arrived later than they expected. It was almost sunset again by the time that they entered the front of the city, which put them a full day behind now. It was a strange town to Astro, but nothing that he hadn’t seen before from the freaks of the world.

Welpen hid behind Astro’s cape and scythe in the back with Ezra behind him. He was scared of clowns and even worse, they were all over the place.

One came up to him and blew bubbles at them, and Welpen freaked out and yelled at the man. Another one came up to Welpen and pulled a quarter from his ear. Another came up and made a rose disappear in his hand. In the distance, lights illuminated the sky. It was a show–an event of some kind–where everyone began to gather. They didn’t know whether or not they should go to it. They didn’t really know if Isara was still here or if she had left.

Astro: “According to what I’ve heard, the cities over here are all connected in a straight line, so you can really only go on one continuous path. I know the Infinite Library is eventually over here, but I never had to take this route to get here. I’m not sure what lies ahead, but we either choose to ask around about Isara and stay the night, or continue on the path assuming that she already left. That’s your choice, Welpen.”

Welpen: “Mhm…Ezra, you pick!”

Ezra: “Me? No, no, no. I’m just here to protect you guys and get my body back eventually. I feel like this will all work out in the end if I stay with you both. Plus, I already told you a little about my past. I don’t necessarily even know a lot of places down here. My specialty is the Spirit Realm.”

Astro: “Fine. I’ll pick. It’s not that I don’t want to keep moving, but this town doesn’t seem to have horses and carriages. Let’s see what’s going on at this event first. Doesn’t seem like there is a cost to enter. Let’s just stay on the outskirts and see if we can see Isara in the crowd. You’re not to split up from me, Welpen. Oh, and don’t talk. I’ll do the talking.”

Welpen: “Blah, blah, blah! Blah! Blah! BLAH! Don’t tell me not to talk. I have a mouth and I’ll use it if I want to. Hmph!”

Astro: “Whatever, just stay next to me and don’t leave my sight.”

Inside of the large red and white tent underneath the illuminating lights was a crowd of everyone with the same face paint just like what they saw on the streets. The only difference that they could tell was the length of the hair and height of the people that determined whether they were male or female or a child versus an adult.

In the middle was an arena-like area, yet rectangular. It was a display of entertainment as these clown people were miming in a performance piece.

Everyone was silent.

You could hear a pin drop, however when the clowns were done, Tohos jumped out of the tunnel.

Welpen, along with Astro, had never seen these creatures because they weren’t very famous. There were a large portion of them in the ice mountains up north, but nobody really dared to go out there because of the harsh conditions and fearless deity that ruled the lands, named Aelig. Not that these creatures were super dangerous, but this town seemed to have gotten their hands on a few of them.

They were wolf-like animals that lit up in a luminescent bright blue and purple. They stole the show as the crowd chanted for more. People even throw Petals inside the middle while Astro looked around in the crowd for a small girl.

Astro: “No, this is pointless. We’re leaving. I doubt she has makeup on and there is nothing here for anyone. I don’t even know why these people do what they do.”

Welpen: “Astro look. The Tohos…What are they doing?”

The Tohos were howling at the night sky and started to bounce around and twitch. The performers in the middle ran through to the doors to exit the arena, but were a little late, as the Tohos attacked them and tore them to pieces.

To the three’s surprise, the crowd did not scream and run, but instead shouted again for more. ‘This is insane,’ Astro thought. ‘What is this place? Who are these people?’

Welpen stayed close to Astro, scared of what was to come. He wanted to leave. He was convinced that Isara would not be associated with these people.

The Tohos howled once again and looked west. Their behavior was strange to those who did and did not know about them. They darted off into the crowd, stepping on people, and then eventually ran off to somewhere unknown to anyone else outside of the large tent. Nobody knew what their motive was, but one was not able to get up because he was the runt of the group. He was small and couldn’t jump as high.

A few of the clown-faced people thought it would be funny to jump down and kill the Toho. They held him up for show while the crowd cheered. They began to dance around the dead animal, not as a ritual, but just because it was fun.

Astro grabbed Welpen’s hand and looked away for half a second to leave before he saw out of the corner of his eye that the 4 men’s heads were lying on the ground. One single individual was on his knees in front of the dead Toho as well. Not a tall man, but not short either. His dark blonde hair swayed in the light wind and his dark eyes pierced the eyes of the crowd. He wore all black and his sword was unlike any sword anyone had ever seen. Black spikes ran down the black and white handle that connected to his own body. Dark blue mana lines covered the surface amongst multiple unknown symbols running down the blade and hilt with slight white mana lines and black ones on his body.

The small lifeless Toho on the ground rose from the dead in front of everyone’s eyes. His eyes were as hopeless as the man’s. He stood up with the small creature and turned towards the crowd and spoke a single calm, but threatening phrase.

???: “I don’t care that the rest of you didn’t do this. You’re all accountable for witnessing this cruel act of injustice. Perish the way that you did to this innocent creature…Lifeless Disintegration.”

Before the man even spoke those words, Astro activated his ability and took Welpen and Ezra into the shadow of a man nearby. All he had to do was touch the man to activate it and he could appear at any time. It was one of the many overpowered features that he obtained from the years of hardship, but in this very moment, this was out of desperation. He couldn’t even think of who to travel to, so he did what he could in the moment.

The entire arena was suddenly lifeless.

Astro covered Welpen’s mouth to ensure he didn’t speak a single sound. Mana from all over transferred into the sword of the man as he took the creature on the ground and disappeared into thin air.

Welpen questioned Astro’s pumping heart that was going at a rapid pace. Astro truly believed that this boy had to be a curse, but he did not speak his mind. What seemed like anomalies to this world were occurring on the very same path that he was taking with this boy. He had seen strength, but these people he was encountering would give those people a run for their money.

Astro grabbed Welpen yet again, jumping out of the dead man’s shadow, and ran to the path to the next town without a second thought of the dead people in the arena. He ran and ran and ran, not stopping until the town was out of their sight.

Welpen: “Hey! Stop! We need to go help those people.”

Astro: “Those people aren’t here anymore. They're long gone. You can’t save them anymore.”

Welpen: “Why didn’t you help them?! You’re strong. You could’ve done something, but now…Those people are lying on the ground and the rest of the people in the town are going to march in there and see their loved ones dead. Why would you leave them?! You’re no better than my mom and dad!”

Astro took a second to recoup while he tried to figure out what to say to Welpen who was banging his body with his hands, trying to get Astro to let him down.

Welpen: “Hate me all you want. I’m only here to help you get to Isara. You think I’m a hero? No, I’m far from it. I’m not the big glorious savior you think I am, kid. I got no merit to show for it. We’re lucky we survived the unraveling events that have happened so far. My body instinctively moved. We would’ve died if not. If you’re so worried about those people, then ask your buddy here if they ended up in the Spirit Realm. They weren’t good people, so they probably didn’t.”

Welpen: “Is that true, Ezra? Did none of them come to your realm?”

Ezra: “Unfortunately, yes. I do not see any of them that need to be welcomed. Do not worry, Welpen. That was not your fault. I know you would’ve fought for them if you were stronger.”

Welpen: “I could’ve said something to him. I could’ve apologized for them killing that Toho. I could’ve helped somehow! I know I’m looking for Isara, but this isn’t what she would want either. I want to help just like she likes to help.”

Astro: “My job is to keep you alive, not support you to help a bunch of criminals and freaks.”

Welpen: “I didn’t ask you for that! That’s what you want! Not me! Not me!”