Chapter Text
"Motherfucking God of Death! That bitchass, shitty cheat!"
Forget asking Cage to cuss out that asshole. When he gets back home Cale is going to loot some money from that divine fuckwad's own temples to pay off people to curse the God of Death's name from dusk till dawn for him.
This isn't Cale's first time going to sleep in one location and waking up in a completely different one, but at least this time he knows who to blame.
"Oh Cale, can you run one more errand for me before I tell you where Lee Soo Hyuk is? It's nothing too hard - for you at least. After all, you've already done it twice before. Thanks, ^_~ !"
Those words had suddenly appeared yesterday in the God of Death's Divine Item, 'How to Die a Peaceful Death'. Cale had had only been flipping through it because the divine item was supposed to be telling Cale where exactly his reincarnated Team Leader would meet up with him in the Endable Kingdom.
Of course, upon seeing such an ominous request, Cale had slammed the book shut and decided to just search for Lee Soo Hyuk on his own. After all, Duke Fredo was essentially the sole ruler of the Endable Kingdom with the White Star dead, and the vampire owed Cale a favor or two for this sudden increase in rank. Surely the vampire would be up to mounting a discreet search party for him.
Apparently, however, just reading that shitty request was enough to get Cale transported to his current location (the cold, dirty ground of a forest) from where he'd gone to sleep (a clean, warm bedroom in Puzzle City, cuddled up with On, Hong, and Raon).
How unfair. The God of Death was easily in the top ten of the most slimy, underhanded employers Cale had ever had, including his time working minimum wage jobs as Kim Rok Soo.
Cale deeply considers staying on the leafy ground where he has woken up. Sure the cold ground isn't that comfortable, but it's not that uncomfortable either. He's definitely slept in worse places. Maybe the God of Death will just give up and send him back if Cale plays dead?
Cale contemplates the benefits of this plan, then closes his eyes again, deciding to at least give it a go until he gets hungry enough to move.
Choi Han compulsively grips his sword tighter as King Alberu goes over the information they have regarding the large demonic beast that has recently taken up residence in Puzzle City.
His face is blank. Of course, after Choi Han's many tens of years in the Forest of Darkness, his face is almost always blank unless he's making an effort to show emotion - though that is something he bothers with less and less as the war drags on.
If Choi Han had to chose an expression for this little war counsel of himself, Rosalyn, and the King though it would be a grimace. The picture King Alberu's information paints is grim as always.
While the lion-eagle is more sedentary and less likely to hunt humans down than the other demonic beasts they encountered, it also seems to be the most powerful of its brethren that they've seen so far. Additionally, once every several hours it will go on a destructive rampage even if it is not engaged. This has essentially left Puzzle City and the area within ten miles of it uninhabitable.
Not only has this already killed many people and displaced even more, but they can't afford to keep losing territory like this. Land that can be used for shelter and farming by their people shrinks every day. If it is not the dead mana tinged with despair that is dying the land black, it is the storms and dark skies summoned by the White Star and his allies to harry those that do not bend a knee to him in worship. They can't afford to surrender even an acre of what little land they are in control of, especially not in the middle of what should be their safe zone on the eastern side of the Western Continent.
As King Alberu finishes explaining the situation to them, Rosalyn bites her lip in concentration before commenting, "This monster's actions seem less organic than the other demonic beasts we've fought so far. It is almost akin to an extremely destructive magic device. Is there anyway to investigate it further to see if this is something we can exploit?"
Her sharp observation momentarily distracts Choi Han from his spiraling thoughts. Rosalyn's wits have saved them all countless times and, hopefully, will point them towards a solution this time too. What would they do without her?
(What will Choi Han do when he loses her and Lock to either old age or battle? He knows it is only a matter of time.)
Before King Alberu, still the best of them at information gathering, can respond to Rosalyn's query a harsh knock pounds on the door. Choi Han's hand is instantly on his sword's handle, and mana swirls in threatening spirals at Rosalyn's fingertips. They weren't expecting an interruption.
King Alberu stands to call out to either the knocker or the guards at the door, but before he can do so the door bursts open on its own accord and the Heretic Priestess Cage strides in unannounced.
Choi Han relaxes slightly. The Heretic Priestess is dangerous and no doubt threatened the guards with her curses to get past them, as she recognizes no authority but her own sense of justice, but she is a staunch ally in their fight against the White Star.
"Miss Cage - ", King Alberu starts, but is quickly interrupted.
"My apologies, Your Majesty," Cage's eyes do not contain their usual dull anger, but shake like a person awoken from a night terror, "but what I have to say is urgent and related to our upcoming battle."
King Alberu sighs at the interruption but motions for her to continue. Formality was one of the first things to die in their long war, though probably the the casualty both King Alberu and Choi Han minded the least.
"For the first time since Taylor died, I heard the voice of the God of the Death." Cage intones, her voice certain for all that her eyes still shake, "He said, 'I have sent the children who died before their time and the person who was denied his birth in this world along with their guardian knight. Hope shows us possibilities we could not imagine, just as despair hides even the obvious from our eyes. This is the nature of life, even for a God, so take my gift, oh survivors, and keep living. They await you in the Forest of Darkness."