“Man—”

  Krishk!

  The sound of a bde stabbing into thick flesh.

  “We’ve been here for days—” There was a quiet frustration in his voice. “You've been training for weeks on end now—aren't you ever cold?” There was a young man, with skin kissed by midnight and eyes stained by coffee. He had a growing stubble and a buzz cut that kept his head free from the annoyance of hair. He wore light knight’s armor and a royal insignia was marked on his shoulder guard.

  He squatted down and twisted the short bde he stabbed through the flesh of the giant creature they had just defeated. He pulled the bde out and swiped with enough force to clean off the leftover blood that stuck to it.

  “Noisy.” A girl with auburn hair and disinterested apathy stretched on her face. “I hate noise.”

  “Tch.” The young man clicked his tongue at the girl's comment. “Do we seriously have to keep this barbarian around, Your Highness?”

  “Shut it, Julian.” A streak of crimson red hair stood out amongst the white blizzards and snow of the North. “Ms. Day will lead us to our destination.”

  “How can you trust her so much?” Julian shrugged and slid down the monster’s body and onto the snowy ground. “We only took her in by the side of the road.”

  “We've been sent by my Father on a silent mission to dispose of.” The red head gred at the young man. “I’m doing a rightful exchange.”

  “We went to this mission and you’ve yet to tell what we're doing it for.” Julian sighed and cringed when the barbarian girl drew close to him. “Eurgh! She smells!”

  “They cover themselves in demon blood and feces to hide their scents.” The Prince walked towards and then past the boy. He then pced his hand gently on the stomach of the fallen giant demonic beast. “Ms. Autumn Day, what's this creature called?”

  “StoneHide.” She spoke single mindedly.

  “Hmm.” The Prince looked around and gnced at the blood that drenched the white snow.

  “Ben, here. Use my swor—”

  “No need.” The blood in the surrounding area gathered into his fist. He arched his arm and punched right through the thick hide of the demonic beast effortlessly.

  A gust of wind blew the hair of the barbarian girl, Autumn; and made Julian cover his face to avoid getting something stuck in his eye.

  Ben had completely cracked open the hide of what looked to be a gigantic elephant-like demonic beast with skin as hard as stone. He reached inside the creature's stomach area and ripped out its intestines.

  “There. Cover yourself in that. We’ll be going deep. We don't want any beasts chasing after us.” He ripped and tossed the monster intestine to Julian, who caught it with a disgusted look on his face.

  He then squeezed the intestine over his body and let its insides and liquids pour over him like a shower of blood and goo.

  “B-before I do this— Isn't covering yourself in blood and meat a good way to attract predators?” Julian hesitated. “Also, it's not like we couldn't beat demonic beasts in a fight.”

  “Stupid.” Autumn muttered. “Your friend. Stupid.”

  “I swear I will hit this girl.” He gred at her.

  “Demonic beasts rarely attack each other. They feed on other living beings such as animals and humans. Of course stronger animals hunt down weaker beasts but—” Ben’s eyes were serious. “There’s a demonic beast we’d rather not catch attention from.”

  “What is—”

  “Favaros.” Autumn said shortly. “Demon King’s companion.”

  “You mean…?”

  “Yeah.” Ben pushed back his hair as blood dripped down his forehead. “The Late Demon King, Exal, that dead bastard’s pet snake.”

  Julian gulped— It's not like he wasn't familiar with stories and legends from long ago but the defeat of the Demon King only happened more than half a century ago and yet…little information containing stories about the expedition was left.

  Only the names of the heroes who slew Exal and a few bits and pieces of unproven rumors.

  Still, if the Prince believed it to be safer avoiding the eye of Demon King’s pet snake, then as his aide de camp, he simply must follow orders.

  Of course, He’d rather not drench himself in whatever was inside the intestines of that Demonic Beast though.

  “Slow.” Autumn squinted her eyes. She walked towards him with a speed he couldn't catch, he instinctively reached for his sword but he stopped himself before he could cut her. Autumn reached her hand and grabbed the intestine from him, before splitting it apart and pouring the liquids on the poor Knight.

  “Eurgh!!!” He made sure to cover his face. “Don't pour it in my mouth!” He compined.

  “Noisy.”

  “I will seriously punch you.”

  “You two.” Ben’s eyes were different. They were different from when he was at the Capital. This time they were more focused or more…directed. “Let's start moving, we're bound to meet up with the others.”

  “You mean the rest of the people the Emperor sent?” Julian raised an eyebrow. “How will you expin her then?” He pointed toward Autumn who flinched suddenly.

  “Just pipe down will you. You're giving me a headache.” Ben rubbed his forehead. “I deem this girl necessary for the success of this mission. Is that enough for you? Plus, if we leave her behind— where else can she go?”

  Julian groaned and stared at the auburn girl who gave him a raspberry and hurriedly followed behind the Prince who was already walking away.

  “I swear I’m taking a long ass shower after this goddamn mission.” He stomped after them. “Your Highness! Don't leave me behind!”

  The three of them walked inside a forest. It was solemn and dark and unbearably cold. The spots within the Forest felt far more freezing than outside in the literal blizzard. Julian had to feel even more cold due to being wet with blood and whatever strange liquids could be found in that Stonehide’s organs.

  The trees were strange as well. They were thick, tall, and massive. Their leaves were dark green and as supposed to brown, their trunks showed a faint color of gray.

  “Are we in a Promethean forest?” Julian asked as they walked right through.

  “Correct.” Ben answered. “We're close to the Mountain pass. We’ll meet the others in the Outnds.”

  “Outside.” The Barbarian girl frowned. “Bad feelings.”

  “We’ll get you back to your vilge.” Ben turned his gaze towards Autumn. “I trust that your kind has the capability of transporting us through an immense blizzard.”

  Autumn gulped and stood straight. “I believe.”

  “Great.” Ben turned away and moved forward again. “Keep your eyes peeled. Even if we're in Azarol territory, Demon Beasts and wild animals are still loud and prevalent.”

  “Got it.” Julian nodded. He sighed and drew his bde dragging it on the dirt. Autumn blinked at what he was doing and gnced at Ben to see if the Prince was going to say anything but he didn't.

  “What?” She pointed towards his sword.

  He simply raised a finger to his mouth and told her to keep quiet. She looked even more confused afterwards.

  They kept walking until on a random notice, Julian stopped moving. Autumn was confused once more and waited for Ben to respond but he kept walking straight.

  “75 meters at your nine, a group of humanoids chasing down a rge beast. Heading our direction, Your Highness.” Julian reported with finesse.

  “As trustworthy as always, Julian.” Ben smiled and raised his hand, from his palms droplets of blood began to fall out before they grouped together and solidified into a spear.

  Out in the distance you could hear the snapping of bushes and twigs and the rumbling of the ground as a rge demonic beast with a protruding snout and two rge tusks on its bottom jaw peeking through.

  It barreled through the forest at immense speed and straight towards Ben.

  “I thought you said it won't try to attack us if we smell like it.” Julian clicked his tongue.

  “Not trying to attack.” Autumn gaped. “Asking for help.”

  Julian snapped his eyes at her when she revealed that statement. He was about to ask something but Ben ughing cut him off.

  “It's fine. It seems we’d led it to a trap accidentally.” He stepped one leg forward and prepared his spear like a javelin. “Unfortunately for that giant boar. There's nothing to save it.” With an echoing thunderous bst he threw the blood spear towards the Demonic beast with enough force to lift his feet off of the ground.

  The spear needled through the winds so fast it made a high pitched noise and after a few seconds on air. It made contact.

  The spear pierced right through the giant boar’s head through its body then out its rear and kept riding the wind until it was only stopped by Promethean Tree that even then, it pierced halfway through.

  Ben had a fresh smile as his feet touched the floor again. “Let's go. Let those hunters take their game.” He wiped his hands and continued walking towards the Mountain pass, as if he had not just sin a usually powerful foe in one strike.

  “S-Scary.” Autumn pursed her lips after getting lost at what just happened. In an instant, a demonic beast as rge as that keeled over from a single throw. “Strong.”

  “That's the Crown Prince for you.” Julian tapped her shoulder. “When he's on the field, he's a completely different person.”

  “Can see.” Autumn felt her heart racing from what she had witnessed. A flow of excitement courses through her.

  To be honest, she didn't remember how she was saved. All she thought was that she was gonna get killed by the horde of demon beasts that found her by the roadside but before she knew it, the handsome boy with his striking red hair was in front of her. A literal knight in shining armor.

  “A Prince.” She muttered and grinned, though no one was able to hear it.

  “Oi, Barbarian girl.” Julian gestured from ahead. “We're leaving you behind if you don't catch up.”

  The small 17 year old auburn haired young woman smiled as widely as the arc of the sun. She ran after the two young men with a skip in her step.

  As the Prince and his entourage slowly but surely made their way to the Mountain pass. Two people were already waiting for them there at a dining area in the public camp.

  “He's arriving soon, isn't he?” A brown haired man with a smirk in his lip as he sipped down his coffee.

  “Of course. Knowing him, he’d be here as soon as possible, he’s quite punctual in that regard.” A woman with long golden streams that sparkled under the light smiled. She spun the ice in her drink as she leaned back on her chair. “Daniel, have you gotten the necessary items that His Highness had asked for?”

  “As efficient as I’ll ever be, Madam.” Daniel sipped his coffee again.

  “Good.” She crossed her legs and stretched her arms. “It seems we're close to the second phase of his so-called pn.”

  “Didn't you agree to it?”

  “I have my reasons.”

  “Are we heading out to the outnds?” Daniel asked his boss with a curve in his eyebrow.

  “Fortunately, I won't be demanding that of you. We elves hate the feeling of the cold after all.” She chuckled. “Instead, we’ll be gathering information here about the Hunters and the guilds that run the pce.”

  “What about the Underworld? They run a substantial branch here up North.” He shrugged as he reached over to pour more sugar in his coffee. “We’d basically be encroaching on their turf.”

  “Hah, knowing that Old Man, he’d already caught wind of us the moment we arrived.” She smiled. “He runs this side of the Underworld here after all.”

  “It seems as well, that we're surrounded, my dearMadam.” Daniel sighed as he pced down his mug.

  “So he's already sent for us huh?” She shrugged.

  “You two.” A muscley looking guy came up front. “Someone big wants to see you.”

  “Sorry li’l man, we're a bit busy.” Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad. He then raised his hand toward the shop owner. “Here’s a check for the tip.”

  The shop owner hesitantly walked over and grabbed the slim piece of paper and quickly scampered away.

  “Don't ignore me!” The dude growled.

  “Ah! Sorry Li’l man. I don't have time for autographs.” Daniel mocked. “Try again next time, wontcha?” He winked.

  The big guy couldn't seem to hold his frustration any longer and smashed the table with his sheer strength. “I SAID COME WITH US!”

  “Sheesh.” Daniel and his madam remained seated as he wiped the dust and pieces of wood that nded on him, he then walked over and cleaned the Lady’s clothes in front of him as well. “You're scaring everyone. Calm down.”

  “HAH! Maybe I’ll just break your arms! I don't think the old man will be against that!” He threatened.

  “Daniel.” The woman sitting down twitched an eyebrow. She waved her hand off like she was swatting at pests. “Get rid of the noise would you?”

  “Of course, Madam Jamie.”

  “YOU WENCH!” The big guy raised his arm and propelled down his massive fist towards Jamie who sat there calmly not bothering to dodge.

  She didn't have to, as before the rge man knew it— the world was upside down, his arm was being pulled upward and his cheek was being squished to the floor with a foot on the other side of his head.

  “Such rge swings are easily deflected, you know?” Daniel smirked and pulled on the guy’s arm making him yell in pain. “Now then, shall I be the one to break your arm instead?” He spoke with seething muted hostility.