Cookies

Durs tilted his head slightly, regarding Lian with a faint, sharp amusement in his eyes. “Boy,” he said slowly, “what makes you think I would share such crucial information with you? No offense, but your optimism reaches levels that some might call… stupidity. Even I find it remarkable. Regardless, you will hardly discover his true location. False information purposefully spreads everywhere. The Demon King has never been on this mountain. Yet, somehow, you were told otherwise. While I may favor your cause, I absolutely cannot reveal where he truly is.”

Lian’s brow furrowed, but his fingers twitched slightly, betraying the activation of his power. He focused, probing gently into Durs’ mind, careful not to alarm him. Immediately, thoughts flickered across Lian’s perception: They must never know that the Demon King is actually on Mount Dajti 2 right now. Obviously, they can’t read my mind… oh, I really want some chocolate cookies right now…

Lian blinked. Then a small, almost mischievous smile crept onto his face. A chuckle followed, soft at first, then louder. Soon he was laughing quietly to himself, the sound echoing across the rocky summit.

Mira’s eyes narrowed. Kael’s jaw dropped. Even Durs’ elegant composure faltered as he stared at Lian as though he had lost all sense.

Realizing the attention, Lian quickly stopped, hands raised in mock surrender. “Ah… thank you, Durs,” he said, voice calm again. “Then I suppose we’ll return home. Mission… failed. But I appreciate you saving me earlier.”

Kael’s eyebrows shot up, and her lips pressed into a thin line of disbelief. “Lian,” she said, exasperation dripping from every word, “I’ve always thought you were… unusual. Lately, I thought there were glimmers of sanity in you, but after that… I think those were just coincidental lucky streaks.”

Lian tilted his head, smirking at her. “Does this count as a confession of love?” he asked lightly. Then, without missing a beat, he added, “Come on, let’s not waste any more time. We need to go back home — I left the lights on. Orbis’ electricity bills have skyrocketed lately. Besides, there’s nothing more we can gain from this fellow.”

Kael blinked, a mix of surprise and mild disgust crossing her features. “Lian,” she muttered under her breath, “you are truly… something else.”

Mira snorted softly, shaking her head but smiling faintly.

Kael’s expression hardened. “We should torture Durs until he tells us everything!” she exclaimed.

Lian held up his hands in protest, chuckling. “He’s a general of the Demon King. I’d wager his strength and experience surpass ours at least a hundredfold. Returning home is by far the more rational choice.”

Kael groaned, shaking her head but acquiescing with a reluctant sigh. “Fine, fine…” she muttered.

The three of them began their descent, ropes and pickaxes clinking as they carefully navigated the steep rocks. The wind was cooler now, brushing against their faces as they made their way down the mountain. Mira moved cautiously, occasionally glancing back to ensure no surprises were following them.

Despite the slightly anticlimactic outcome, there was a lightness in the trio’s steps. Lian led with his usual chaotic energy, Kael’s eyes flickering between annoyance and reluctant amusement, and Mira’s quiet vigilance keeping them grounded.

As they neared the base, the town’s outline began to reappear, the familiar rooftops and streets beckoning them back to a semblance of ordinary life. 

Lian glanced at Kael and Mira, a grin spreading across his face despite the mountain’s exertion. “Well,” he said, “maybe next time we’ll bring cookies for Durs. Seems like he’d like that.”

Kael groaned again, rolling her eyes, while Mira shook her head, smiling faintly. Even in failure, the trio’s camaraderie remained their strongest weapon.

Lian would soon realise that he could not simply tell them to go to mount Dajti 2 and expect them to blindly follow him...