Jean sprinted through the dense fog, whipping past branches as he weaved between trees. He remembered leaving the Elf King all alone, knowing of their predicament, which only drove him forward with desperate urgency.
The forest seemed to stretch on endlessly as each path led to more fog and uncertainty. But something, a familiar sound or scent, caught their attention.
"Ah!" A flash of movement ahead caught Jean's eye. It was a figure stumbling through the mist. Without hesitation, he called out. "Sir Fhiron, I've returned!"
"Foolish boy, what are you doing? That could be a Hexbeast!" Zarutha flew overhead, managing to catch up with Jean.
"Hm?" The figure turned around, and through the fog, they could see the young adventurer's face. "Ah, lad, you survived! Ain't that a relief!" Consolation washed over both of them as Jean closed their distance with haste.
"What the Muspelheim is going on?" Shouted Zarutha, flying to a nearby branch to park his talons.
"I-I'm sorry! I should've returned with haste, but those Hexbeasts were a lot of trouble…" Jean rubbed the back of his head, laughing embarrassingly.
"Nay." Fhiron shook his head with a smile. "All is well, lad, I appreciate your return." Glancing up at the tall trees, the elf king spotted the owl staring reluctantly at him. "And who might this bird for brains be?"
"Huh?" Zarutha leaned downward, facing the elf king with an animalistic scowl. "Who are you calling bird for brains, Knife-ears?"
Fhiron crossed his arms, grinning. "Oh? This one has a mouth on it, getting all offensive, are we? 'Knife-ears', I haven't heard that one in a few hundred years."
"Zarutha…" Jean looked up, facing Zarutha atop the branch. "T-This is the Elf King… Fhiron… he's the Ruler of Alfheim!"
Zarutha seemed staggered for a moment, processing this new information with a wide-eyed look, but it wouldn't change his attitude.
"E-Elf King or not, it doesn't give them the right to call me Bird for Brains! I am quite smart, mind you!" Zarutha dove off the tree, flapping their wings as they landed on Jean's shoulder, whispering. "Aye… is he really the Elf King?"
Jean turned to face the delivery owl, a slight nervous grin on his face.
"Uhm… yeah… I wasn't joking about that."
Zarutha faced the elven king with worried eyes, though he was also skeptical.
"What the Muspelheim is the elf king doing all the way out here? If you really are who you say you are, then prove it! I sense a lack of mana coming from your body."
Fhiron's expression contorted into a stern gaze as he faced the delivery owl.
"I'm afraid I cannot prove such a thing, but my Ayleon friend can tell you why that is the case."
Jean sighed, feeling secondhand embarrassment, remembering why the elf king out of all people had such low mana.
"Well… King Fhiron said he screwed up his Dimensional Transportation through the Bifrost, which made him end up here."
"Ehh?" Zarutha glanced at Jean, baffled. "By the Alvamon! What sort of fool travels through the Bifrost without proper protection? Let alone a King?" Facing the Elf King, Zarutha looked perplexed. "I'm assuming you traversed the Conceptual Axis that connects all worlds? That would explain your loss of mana…"
Fhiron laughed to the heavens, "Fwa ha ha! Indeed!! The sixth-dimensional axis that connects all worlds! I've traveled along its pathway with the spell Sileoha, however, without enough protection, the Bifrost sapped away my mana. I was almost cast away into its endless ocean." Grinning as if he took pride in his survivability, the elf king glanced upon Jean's clueless expression.
"Sileoha?" Asked the young adventurer.
"Aye." Nodded Zarutha. "It's a powerful spell, created by a group of Archmages in the past. It allows one to traverse through higher dimensions, specifically temporal ones. It's commonly used within the At'ama, but I've never heard someone using it within the Bifrost." Said the delivery owl, captivated.
"Do you believe me now, little bird?" Asked the King, grinning at Zarutha's questionable gaze.
"Hmph…" Zarutha turned their head, averting their eyes from the elf. "I suppose your story is believable for why a Light Elf is in Midgard."
"I'm glad we got that out of the way." Said the Elf King, grinning in amusement.
All of a sudden, the bushes began to rustle behind them. Jean's heart raced as he spun around, pulling out his dagger whilst Zarutha prepared his magic.
"Crap, it's probably those creatures again!"
Fhiron seemed unfazed, glancing toward the heavy sounds of something, or rather, someone, walking through the forest.
Through the fog, shadows moved, and two figures could be seen approaching. One was tall and graceful, and the other was short and petite. "Huh? I thought it was Hexbeasts… are those golems?" Jean's breath caught in their throat as he tried to recognize their distinctive form.
Slowly emerging from the thick fog, they revealed themselves. It was none other than Grimhild Yorgana and her tamed Spirit, Chroliosa.
"…" Jean was baffled, staring at the witch with wide eyes.
"Hm… Jean?" Grimhild seemed shocked as well, facing the young adventurer with a puzzled look. Meanwhile, Chroliosa was panting beside the petite mage, holding Obsidia over her shoulder.
"G-Grimhild…!" Running toward the elderly witch, the Ayleon hugged her around the chest as Zarutha flew off his shoulder, smiling. "I've missed you! Why did you leave me behind?"
Grimhild wrapped her arm around the boy's waist, patting his back a few times.
"I didn't leave you, I was going to return sooner or later for you, Jean." She smiled, albeit briefly, as a familiar face caught her eye. Glancing to the side, Grimhild faced the Elf King. "…I didn't expect to be seeing you here, Fhiron."
Pulling away from Jean, Grimhild would approach the elf with expressionless eyes.
"Huh?" Baffled, Jean faced the two; Witch and Elf King, blinking rapidly with confusion. "You two know each other?"
"It's unlike you to come to Midgard, unprecedented." A teasing grin spread across the witch's face. "Let me guess… you've come here seeking more wives, is that it?"
Fhiron remained quiet and turned away, averting his gaze from the witch. Jean looked in shock to see the Elf King, who was loudmouth and energetic, turn into a quiet jester.
"Tsk…" Expressing his annoyance, the elven king sighed under his breath. "Why is it every time I come to Midgard, I run into you out of all people, Grimhild?"
The small witch suddenly lifted her staff and smacked the elf across the head, causing him to crouch to his knees, rubbing his scalp.
"Ouch! Aye, you bloody witch, I don't need another one of your lectures!"
Chroliosa was just as confused as she stared at their conversation, setting Obsidia down.
"It's not very king-like of you to leave your people in Alfheim just because you seek to bed new women. We've talked about this before." Grimhild glared at him like a disappointed grandma.
"Yeah… I know… but a man can't keep sticking to the same old thing without variety!" Rubbing his head, he stood back up, but Grimhild smacked him with her staff once again. "Oi! Cut it out!"
"You should know better, but I'm assuming you set your brother up to rule the realm of Alfheim during your absence?" Asked the witch.
"Aye, indeed… just for now…" Fhiron stood up again, preparing for the third bop to the head, but to his luck, Grimhild refrained.
"Good…" Facing Zarutha and Jean, the witch approached them as Fhiron crossed his arms like a pouty child. "Zarutha, is all well? I'm assuming you were the one who told Jean of my whereabouts?"
Zarutha nodded their head and flew toward the witch's shoulder.
"I am doing well, yes indeed! I've come to relay great information, Master! King Lancelot has accepted the conditions for your duel and is now lowering taxes, feeding the homeless, and aiding the poor. Your plan managed to work!"
Grimhild, pleased by this, lowered her head with a relieving exhale through her nose.
"That is good news, Zarutha, thank you."
Jean widened his eyes with a big smile, hearing all the suffering people of Mesnil being taken care of. "Wow, you must have a lot of influence over such powerful people, Grimhild…" He proclaimed with joy.
"Fwa ha ha! That is Grimhild for you! My Goddess has this world wrapped around her finger! It's why I'll marry her one day!" Shouted Fhiron, laughing out loud.
Grimhild glanced at him with an annoyed gleam in her eyes.
"Marriage is off the table, I seek no pleasure in spending my life with a loudmouth." Said the witch, slightly frowning at his comment.
"Are you trying to marry every female you meet at this point?" Said Jean with a disappointed sigh.
"Nay! Me and Grimhild go way back, however, the only reason she won't marry me is because I'm not an androgynous male." Fhiron responded, causing Grimhild to widen her eyes and lift her hand.
"Furyin!" Summoning a magic circle, a powerful gust of wind launched Fhiron back, slamming him against a nearby tree.
"Gaaah!" The Elf bashed against the bark and then fell flat on his face, unable to protect himself from his lack of mana. "Guhh… I'm still a King! Show some bloody respect you old hag!"
Zarutha burst out laughing.
"Bwa ha ha! I never knew of Grimhild's type of man, who would've thought she was attracted to ladyboys? This is wonderful news indeed! I now have something to tease her about!" The witch glared at the owl, causing their laughter to cease. "I'm sorry."
"You two are insufferable." Commented Grimhild, turning to face Chroliosa behind her. "Chroliosa, have you managed to catch your breath? I'd like to make our way out of the forest now."
The former spirit nodded her head, bending over to pick Obsidia back up before throwing them on her shoulders.
"Yes, Master, let us continue."
"Good, then follow me, we'll take a safer route outside of the forest."
They all nodded at Grimhild's remark as Fhiron struggled to get up from the pain. Walking through the forest, everyone followed behind the witch as the Elf King finally got to his feet, limping behind them.
"Hey, don't leave me behind! Just hold on just a second, you bloody Midgardians!"
Suddenly, the relieving atmosphere shattered as howls echoed in the distance with the rustling of bushes. Jean frowned, holding onto his dagger, knowing what was to come.
"Crap, I knew it! Those Hexbeasts are still after me…"
"H-Hexbeasts, here?" Asked Chroliosa, worrisome from her lack of spirit physiology.
Suddenly, multiple monsters burst from the bushes around them as their claws scraped against the ground. The multitude of Hexbeasts had surrounded them, growling at their prey like wild animals.
The creatures varied in form - some reptilian, others avian, all with predatory gleams in their eyes.
Jean immediately stepped forward, positioning himself protectively between his friends and the monsters. His dagger was encased in anti-magic as he prepared for combat, but Grimhild merely walked past him, her eyes vacant.
"Return to where you came. Now." An intense bloodlust emitted from her eyes as the monsters surrounding them could feel their information alter.
Backing away like frightened pups, the Hexbeasts bowed their heads as if Grimhild was the alpha. They felt a fear so intense that their information itself had been modified out of dread. Even scaring beings made out of pure information wasn't impossible for the Witch of Justice—including the mindless, animalistic creatures.
They all fled as their "information" was frightened, forcibly altering itself for means of survival. It knew it couldn't go up against her, such was the might of destruction.
Jean stood there, baffled, staring at the Witch of Justice in awe.
"Now then, let us continue." Grimhild ambled forward as if nothing ever happened, but Chroliosa and Zarutha remained calm as if they expected the outcome.