Bab 22: Vázoluna (1)
- Death -
Death was trying to relax his mood before coming to the lycan's border.
'I don't want to make a tense atmosphere worse, but seriously Vishnu? I call you to warn about an enemy and you take that as "I should ambush him so we can have a practice match", seriously?'
Death was taking slow breaths, trying to push the frustrating thoughts out. He looked down at Hrom and thought about Lucius.
'You care about me, even though you have your own kingdom to rule, and meanwhile, Shiva has the nerve to-'
Death took a quick breath in-and-out.
'Let it go. There are actual problems to deal with. You're too busy for this. Persephone's cooking. Ra's beer. Tera's singing.'
Death closed his eyes for a moment. He felt his composure come back to him.
The border checkpoint for Vázoluna was in sight. It was a large stone wall covered in warning signs, and behind it stood gigantic trees that dwarfed the wall itself. There were pairs of guards all along the wall. Most of the guards were glaring in the direction of the group.
Death moved even further from the group so he could get to the checkpoint before everyone else. He stopped Hrom before reaching the wall, got off, and walked towards the guards.
They were both men with shaggy brown hair, brown vests and brown pants that had slits going down the entire length of the sides. They had tanned skin and yellow irises with sharp pupils. One guard was 5'8" and the other was 6'4".
"I assume this is the official business we were told about?" The taller guard said to the other.
Death removed all emotion from his face when speaking.
"We're on a mission. We're just crossing through."
The guards looked over at the group approaching Death.
"I assume everyone has their coins?" The smaller guard asked.
Death held out his coin. Mira landed next to him and presented her coin.
"Yes, we have our passage coins." Death was monotone.
The taller guard spat on the ground and looked at Death, before looking away.
Lao and Yvere walked their uništi to the border. Lucifer climbed out of the cart and presented everyone's coins to the guards. The smaller guard waved his hand at Lucifer.
"Last I checked each person needs to present his or her coin.
Death looked at the taller guard who then slapped the smaller guard's hand.
"We can trust that they're not smuggling." He turned to Death. "Sorry about that, you know we rotate who does these, and he's new to it."
The smaller guard glared at the taller one. Lucifer went back to the cart, assuming it was over. The smaller guard's face started to redden.
"What, too lazy to come out of your master's cart!" The guard yelled.
Lucifer turned around and was about to respond, but Death walked up to the smaller guard, leaned in, and whispered into his ear.
"If I was any other ancient you would be a stain on the wall behind you. Remember your history, lest you repeat it."
The guard froze with fear.
"S-s-sorry. Please go right ahead." The guard choked out.
The taller guard put his hands against the wall and lowered a large piece of it until it wasn't visible. The guards stood opposite one another on the new entrance.
Death walked Hrom through, followed by Mira, Yvere, and Lao. As they went through the entrance the wall closed behind them. The forest ahead of them was dark, with only small slits of light coming through the trees.
- Everyone -
Lucifer pulled out a pole that had a clear orb on it. Orange energy filled the orb, illuminating the area around the group, but not much else.
Mira walked up to Lucifer.
"Let me hold it."
Lucifer questioned the kindness and handed the light to Mira.
'She must really distrust this place. Can't blame her.'
The others had climbed out of the cart and were looking around, suspicious of their surroundings. Elijah walked up to Lucifer.
"What's the point of a large stone wall in this world? Can't anyone with earth magic destroy it?" Elijah was looking around as he spoke, turning to every sound he heard.
"Doors can be broken and locks picked. It's more of a formality." Lucifer answered in a bored tone.
Lucifer kept his eyes forward as he spoke. He has traveled through these woods safely many times in the past, but they always gave him an anxious feeling he couldn't shake.
'Worst comes to worst I can always burn it down.' He casually thought.
Lucifer always found solace in his fire magic's ability to destroy the lycan homeland.
The sound of branches cracking and leaves rustling was driving Elijah insane. Heinrich noticed and put his hand on Elijah's shoulder.
"I know how unnerving it can be, but trust our leaders."
Elijah took a breath and reminded himself that the group has Death as a protector.
Death seemed to disappear into the darkness. The only thing that stuck out was his face. He was shifting his eyes constantly, counting the number of lycans that were watching the group.
'Twenty. More than usual. I guess it is rare for Lucifer and me to be here at the same time.'
Lucifer's eyes contrasted with the darkness so fiercely that Elijah's eyes kept being drawn to them. He wanted to take his mind off of the darkness around him so he thought asking a question might help.
"How long before we hit civilization?"
Lucifer's eyes were shifting as he counted the lycans around him.
'At least twenty. I would think they'd send fewer scouts since Death's here. Guess they trust that he won't take this as an act of aggression.'
Elijah was surprised that Lucifer didn't answer him. Normally he would get an answer immediately.
'I can't imagine that whatever has you occupied is a good thing.'
Elijah asked his question again.
"How long before we hit civilization?"
Lucifer snapped out of his scanning of the area.
"Hmm? Oh, about three hours."
Vázoluna covers a large area, and the woods that surrounded the main town were the thickest of the territory. It didn't help that the uništi were difficult to maneuver around certain parts of the forest. Lucifer's team, much like Death, would have disappeared in the darkness if not for the illuminating staff that Mira was holding.
Elijah went up to Hrom and started running his hand across the creature's skin.
"It feels like bone," Elijah commented to Death.
Death stopped scanning the area.
"You've felt bone before?" Death asked.
"Yeah, in museums as a kid." Elijah kept running his hand along the skin. "The texture was always off-putting to me. Do they enjoy being scratched?"
Death grinned.
"They don't like or dislike much. I believe the only thing they "like" is mana, and the only "dislike" is being hungry."
Elijah scratched Hrom. The texture of the skin gave Elijah goosebumps as his nails went across.
"Do these creatures really hunt? I read a little about it in Lucifer's guide." Elijah asked.
Death looked at Hrom.
"If it gets hungry enough, any creature will hunt." Death said matter-of-factly.
Death didn't mean to sound so menacing. He had never considered the concept of being the hunted, so the human fear of it escaped his mind at times.
Elijah stopped scratching Hrom and backed away slowly.
Death noticed and his face shifted into an "Oh" expression.
"You have nothing to worry about. Lucifer and I keep them well-fed and I personally trained these three. It would take a long time for them to turn." Death tried to reassure, not realizing the last part of what he said made things worse.
"Turn?" Elijah mumbled.
The realization of what Death had said made the god put his face in his hand.
"What I mean is, they are completely trustworthy, and it would take extreme circumstances to make these three a threat."
Elijah wasn't totally convinced but decided to just smile and back away, saying "Okay." before Death said something else scary.
Sabu had been looking around, trying to guess the number of lycans that were following them.
'Eighteen? No, it has to be more. I'm sure Death and Lucifer can tell the full number.'
Sabu was more familiar than any of the other humans and Yvere when it came to silencing one's footsteps. Which made the blatant noise that the lycans were making all the more troubling.
'Maybe it's a feint to hide the real number of scouts?'
Sabu had kept one hand on the handle of the dagger on his hip, and one open, ready to cast magic. His previous safe travels through didn't stop him from being tense.
'Only a fool thinks themselves safe because of past peace.'
Lucifer walked up to Sabu.
"Your thoughts are so clear you might as well shout them." Lucifer joked.
Sabu didn't turn to look at Lucifer.
"How many?" Sabu whispered.
"At least twenty by my count."
Sabu's grip tightened around his dagger. Lucifer flicked him on the side of the head, causing him to nearly pull the dagger out of its scabbard as he turned.
"Why would y-"
"You're not ready to fight if you're this tense. Calm down, and remember how easy it is to break a stiff target." Lucifer interrupted.
Sabu sheathed his dagger and turned back around, taking his hand off the weapon.
"Thank you."
Yvere and Lao were having a conversation at the front.
"How many do you think are following us this time?" Lao asked.
"Five? Probably more knowing them. I don't bother trying to count anymore. They aren't going to do anything." Yvere responded.
Lao's eyes were glowing against the darkness, causing Yvere to occasionally glance at them.
"You must hate those eyes of yours every time we go through here." She said.
Lao looked at the uništi he was leading.
"If Dmitri wouldn't hate me for it I would gladly have no eyes like the uništi."
"I can't imagine having the uništi's sight. Can they even turn their vision off?" Yvere wondered.
"I'm sure they've never tried. I don't think they mind always seeing."
"I think the only thing they mind is being hungry." Yvere laughed.
Lao smiled and scratched the top of his uništi's head.
Peter was walking behind everyone, looking at his hands.
'I wonder when I'll get used to this?'
Peter wouldn't have been bothered by the hands if he didn't have to see them every time he trains with fire magic. When he trained with his sword he had started wearing gloves, much to Lucifer's dismay.
"You can't keep wearing those." Lucifer had told Peter in practice.
Peter had spent so long being young he forgot what his old self looked like. Whenever he was having trouble coping with the look he would always remind himself.
'Ya could have died. All of them could have. Be happy that you're starin' at old hands and not graves.'
Mira noticed Peter looking at his aged hands.
'That's why life force is sacred. You shouldn't be alive.'
If Lucifer wasn't around, Mira would have berated Peter.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Gama_Ser
Gama_Ser Retroactive chapter fact #22
"Lycan-trees" as they're known, don't burn easily. The wood from Vázoluna is considered highly valuable.
"Doesn't burn easily, and doesn't burn period, aren't the same thing."
- Lucifer in a past conversation with Death about Vázoluna
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone