'What... exactly happened here?'
Zaba entered the village. She had been told it was under attack, yet there were no signs of destruction. No debris scattered, not even bodies lying on the ground.
'Did he eliminate everyone without leaving a trace of their bodies?'
The only suspicious thing was the overwhelming silence in the village's narrow alleys. But the deeper Zaba went, the more that silence gave way to faint sounds.
'Crying.'
Following the source, she finally spotted a living person holding a dead one. The villagers were in their homes, mourning beside their deceased, who were covered with white shrouds.
Through the window of one house, Zaba glanced at a body.
'The head is intact, no sign of an explosion, and no lightning marks.'
She closed her eyes, sensed the spirit's energy.
'Ice spirit and... fire!'
Her eyes snapped open. How could a fire spirit appear here? And where? Fire in the mountains of Baniaasif? If someone heard her think that, they'd laugh as if it were a joke.
The villagers were lost in their grief, barely aware of Zaba's presence. Even if they noticed her, they didn't seem to care. It wasn't until the village chief saw her.
"Lady Zaba," the chief said as he stepped forward, struggling to maintain his composure. After all, one of the Gray Eyes had arrived.
As he greeted her, Zaba merely nodded.
"What exactly happened here?" Zaba's voice was devoid of emotion.
"A demon attacked us," the chief said, his face shadowed with sorrow.
'A demon.'
Demons were creatures they knew little about. They were similar to jinn, but the difference was that the former's existence had been proven. Even so, there wasn't much information available about them. Even Zaba, nicknamed "The Bookworm," couldn't find anything substantial about them in the mountain's library.
By nature, Zaba should have been excited. After all, encountering a creature so rare was remarkable. But instead, she felt the opposite.
'So... the rat is... a demon.'
Her usually stoic face betrayed a flicker of disappointment. She had been eager to learn more about the rat's nature than anyone. Finding out it was a demon, not something that would discourage her. Why did she feel let down? It wasn't as though she encountered demons every day—or ever before.
But her disappointment quickly faded as the chief continued speaking.
"Thank god one of the honored ones was here to fight him."
"One of the honored ones?" Zaba's voice and even her expression revealed a spark of interest. "Who exactly?"
The chief's face showed a flicker of confusion. He turned to one of the villagers.
"D-Did we ask for his name?"
"N-No, we didn't."
Embarrassment crept onto their faces as they looked back at Zaba.
"We were in such chaos that we forgot something like that," the chief admitted. "And we didn't expect the honored one to leave as soon as the barrier fell."
'As soon as the barrier fell…'
"You are all the same. He couldn't stand staying for even a moment," one of the villagers muttered, only to receive a sharp glare from the chief, who silenced him instantly.
Ignoring the trivialities, Zaba focused on the core issue.
"The demon tried to kill you, and the honored one protected you. How is the honored one fighting?" she asked.
"With his fists," Shama, who had been eavesdropping, blurted out. Zaba turned toward her.
"Girl, did you say with his fists?"
"The hero—I mean, the honored one—fought with his fists, while the demon used cowardly tactics, summoning ice and fire," Shama said, her eyes shining as usual.
Zaba didn't miss the tone of admiration in Shama's voice.
'Why did the rat save humans?'
Later, Zaba entered the house where Vio was and found a body with its head blown off.
'The rat's work.'
She stepped outside, inspecting the battlefield. Some villagers, including the chief and Shama, followed her.
Found Zaves's clothing nearby. Motioning to one of the villagers to search through the garments. They pulled out a badge, which Zaba took and infused with some spirit.
'Zaves the Silent Ice Baniaasif.'
She couldn't recognize him precisely. Baniaasif had too many members; knowing all of them, regardless of her rank, was impossible.
Once finished, she had two options: wait for the Uncle to arrive or follow Vio's trail, as he hadn't left the village long ago.
Noticing her fluctuating emotions, she knew the wisest course was to wait. So, she did just that.
Chose to analyze the area instead, time slipping away.
As Zaba moved through the village, Shama remembered the sand hill she had created earlier. Feeling that something was wrong, she quietly slipped away and headed to an alley to dismantle it.
But as soon as she arrived, Zaba appeared behind her.
"Just as I thought," Zaba said in a cold voice. "You helped him, didn't you?"
Shama turned without fear, facing Zaba, who was already studying the mound carefully.
While they locked eyes, the chief arrived with Shama's sister and several villagers, all out of breath and terrified. They had panicked when Zaba had disappeared from their sight.
To the villagers, Zaba's behavior had been strange from the beginning. But now, they understood that Vio wasn't one of the honored ones. They were simple and weak, but not foolish. When they arranged everything, they understood everything.
"Did you tell him how to leave the mountain?" Zaba asked.
"I did," Shama replied.
"So, you knew he was an outsider?"
"I did."
"Honored one!" Shama's sister rushed forward and grabbed her hand. "She's just a child, please—"
"Thirteen, almost fourteen. That's a proper age for a human to marry. Doesn't seem like a child to me," Zaba interrupted.
"The feeling is mutual," Shama said. "You don't seem like an honored one to me."
Her words created tension in the air, especially for her sister, who looked on the verge of fainting.
"Really? And what's the reason for that?" Zaba asked.
"One of the honored ones killed our loved ones for no reason."
"That was a demon."
"Really? Strange. I don't see much difference between you and him."
"Well, I'm not killing anyone here right now."
"We'll see about that soon enough."
"..."
'This girl is far too bold for a human.'
As everyone held their breath, something flying approached the village.
The moment Zaba sensed the Uncle's arrival, she waved her hand, sending gusts of wind that obliterated the sand hill.
Shama was shocked, unsure whether Zaba was an ally of the hero or an enemy.
The uncle landed, scanning everyone with narrowed eyes.
"What exactly happened here?" he asked, his senses picking up traces of wind spirit in the area.
"We were mistaken, the attacker was a demon, and the rat is the one who killed him."
"What?" The uncle shouted in disbelief. Still unconvinced, he began inspecting the village himself.
The chief and a few elders had to follow him.
"Isn't the savior…" said one of the villagers.
"This matter does not concern us," said the chief, cutting him off. "Things are between them."
Meanwhile, only three veiled women remained in the area: Zaba, Shama, and her terrified sister.
Zaba ignored the sister, focusing entirely on Shama.
"Girl, did you give him your hand?" Zaba asked lightly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She didn't need a verbal response. The blush in Shama's eyes was enough of an answer.
Shama's sister was stunned, but fear kept her from speaking.
A hint of pity flickered in Zaba's gaze, which Shama couldn't bear.
"What's with that look?" Shama demanded, narrowing her eyes.
"I'm sorry to tell you, but you'll be a widow soon," Zaba said.
"And why's that?" Shama tilted her head.
"You gave him the wide path, didn't you?"
"I did."
"My husband is waiting for him on the narrow path."
"And?"
"He'll end up meeting my husband. My husband is strong, so..."
Zaba didn't finish her sentence, noticing the deliberate pity in Shama's eyes.
Annoyed, Zaba asked, "What's with that look?"
"The same as yours. I'm sorry to tell you, but you'll be a widow soon," Shama replied.
Zaba had never imagined a human would stand up to her. Instead of anger, she felt an odd sense of amusement.
In truth, both of them felt the same. Beside them, Shama's sister continued trembling, unable to stop.
Zaba decided to drop the matter and walked away, indifferent.
'What's happening to me? Why do I feel like this human is my rival? Am I losing my mind?'
She reached the Uncle, whose face was darker than she had ever seen it.
"What's wrong?"
"The rat fought the demon within its domain," he muttered.
Some soldiers arrived, bringing news.
"Uncle," one of them said, "we've located Zaves's team. He killed them, but there's no sign of how they died."
"The purple flame," the uncle cursed under his breath.
Everyone was confused. They had heard of many types of flames, but purple flame was a new term to them.
"What does that mean?" Zaba asked.
"It means what it means," the Uncle snapped.
At that moment, the alarm horn sounded again.
"Boopooooop!"
Vio had been spotted again. The soldiers smiled, ready to set out, but the uncle stopped them.
"Hold!" he commanded, drawing everyone's attention.
"We won't chase him. We'll wait for him at the base of the mountain," he announced.
'Does he mean...?'
"Send two words," the uncle said. "The first, to everyone below: The rat is still alive. Do not engage him unless you've reached Keepers 4 Leaf. Otherwise, just report his location to your brothers."
As he raised his voice, several soldiers wrote the message and sent it off with a white owl.
"The second," he continued, "send it to the High Mountain: The rat fought the demon in its domain and defeated it without sustaining any damage."
"Uncle," Zaba said, confusion washing over her. Even in the worst of times, she had never seen him this grim. "What are you planning...?"
"We'll take the tunnel and wait for him below," the uncle declared, his body beginning to tremble at the thought of using the tunnel once again.