The carriage rumbled along the dirt road, wooden wheels creaking beneath the weight of the passengers as the scenery of dense woods and open plains passed in a gentle blur. The scent of distant pine mixed with the dust of travel. The horses neighed occasionally, and the driver hummed a low tune as he kept to the trail.
Inside, the Black Luminaries sat on one side, relaxing slightly after the teleportation and the quick trek to the road. Opposite them sat a stranger shrouded in a black robe, hood drawn low over his face. His posture was calm, perhaps too calm, like someone who didn't fear the world outside… or the one inside.
He looked to be in his late thirties, though his face was mostly hidden in shadow. A short beard framed the edge of his chin, and his hands, clasped together on his lap, were calloused , hands of a man who had fought and bled.
Jace broke the quiet first. "So, Auxen," he said, eyes still lingering cautiously on the robed man. "What kind of magic do you use?"
Auxen looked up from the window, stretching his arms lazily. "I use Web Magic. Though… I'm not particularly great at it."
Jace frowned. "Web magic? Never heard of it."
Nick perked up. "It's a subcategory of Beast Magic. Rare and... kind of niche. That's probably why you don't know about it. Manipulates silk-like threads, can create traps, bind targets, or even form constructs if mastered."
Auxen chuckled. "Nick's always right, huh? Feels good having a smart guy on the team." He flashed a smile. "But with you guys on my side, those bandits don't stand a chance."
Jace nodded. "Damn right. We'll do our best. Those demons…" He paused, catching himself. "…I mean humans those monster will pay for hurting innocents."
A silence followed his words, but then the voice of the robed man stirred the air.
"…It's not always demons that are bad," he said, voice low and gravelly. "Everyone carries their own darkness. Sometimes the real demon… wears a crown. Or a smile."
He removed his hood, under it was a man with a gray beard and grey hair.
There was a scar on his face, a scar of battle. That can only be attained from battlefield
He looked directly into Jace's eyes.
Jace narrowed his eyes. "You sound pretty certain."
The man tilted his head slightly. "I speak from experience."
Nick leaned forward, curious. "What kind of experience, old man?"
A pause.
The man shifted slightly, and there was a weight in his words now. A heaviness from a past long buried.
"You think you are good just because you are human, No-one in this cursed world has the right to judge who is good and who is bad ".
Nick "What do you mean old man, you are saying we are not good. Then who is good ".
"Haha , you seek good ".
"Then let me tell you a story," he said slowly. "A story of a Demon King… and the real demon."
Jace's curiosity got even uprising. He heard the demon king's name in the castle of valmoria.
The carriage grew quiet. Even the horses seemed to slow, as if the world itself was listening.
To be continued...