Elira's pace slowed again, just enough to break the rhythm Arden had settled into.
"There's something I forgot to ask," she said softly. "The village… or settlement… the name? I never saw a signpost, or a city lord, or… a village head. Nothing."
Arden didn't look at her immediately. His eyes scanned the treeline, attentive to shapes and movement. Then he exhaled, as if settling a question he'd been asked many times before.
"I am not the city lord," he said. "Nor do I claim such a title. I am the acting leader of the Wayfarer's Accord stationed here."
Elira blinked, considering. "So you manage the place… but you're not… the authority?"
"Authority comes in many forms," Arden replied, voice calm. "I ensure the Accord operates, maintains safety, and guides those who cannot guide themselves. That is my charge, yes. But the settlement itself… is its own thing."
Kaid felt the tension in her question before the words arrived. The subtle lines of expectation, of hierarchy, were drawn in the air around them, and Arden read them as easily as the forest floor. He wasn't defensive, merely measured.
"And… I've never heard of this village," Elira said next, curiosity creeping higher. "How… why haven't I?"
"Because it is not a village," Arden said, carefully. "Not in the usual sense. It is a settlement. Small, informal, and persistent. It exists close to the Midgar Empire and the Great Forest—the one so vast it still hides monsters you have yet to name. People come here seeking space. Refuge. They camp, then they stay. A few years, sometimes decades. They carved homes out of the land, planted gardens and build what they could. The Empire rarely questions them, rarely interferes. They are small, inconvenient… not worth the attention."
Kaid's(Micah from now on) awareness reached outward, brushing against the weight Arden spoke of: borders, neglect, survival. The Empire's presence pressed softly, like distant gravity. And yet this place persisted, unclaimed, alive.
"The Wayfarer's Accord," Elira asked carefully, "why are you here, then?"
"Because the Accord protects what the Empire ignores," Arden said. "Settlements like this are fragile. Raiders, monsters, chaos of the forest… without us, much of this would not endure."
Elira's brow furrowed. "So… you're like… volunteers?"
"Essentially," Arden said. "The Accord doesn't ask for payment. We carry out what needs to be done. Any gain from our work is ours, but if there is none… we still work because what better payment is the safety and smile's of the people. That is our difference from the Adventurer's Guild. They take requests for coin. We take responsibility, for people, for safety, for lives ."
Micah felt the weight of the words in the space around him. The forest, the settlement, Arden, even Elira—everything carried the subtle logic of care and vigilance. These weren't mercenaries. These weren't (venturers changed to adventurers) adventurers chasing fame. They were currents running through the world, holding it together quietly, invisibly, carefully.
"And the people here," Elira asked softly, "they… just live?"
"They endure," Arden said. "They build where they could, hide where they must, survived where others failed. The Accord ensures they can do that without vanishing entirely."
Kaid felt it again—the boundary between what is noticed and what is left alone. Between Empire and forest, between settlement and wilderness, between danger and safety. He was small. Too small to shape it, yet large enough to feel the edges.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, he understood the invisible lines that held it together.Elira shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Arden. "What… what is a skill?" she asked.
Arden froze, blinking at her as if she had spoken a language no one in this world could understand. His mind raced—how could someone not know what a skill is? Every being, every human, was born with one. It defined them, guided them, shaped their lives.
Elira's gaze was curious but sincere. She had been a handmaid in the Midgar Empire, serving the 2nd queen. In Midgar, training was meticulous but limited: how to serve, how to read a room, how to anticipate needs. Every fight she had survived had been on instinct alone. No hierarchies based on supernatural talents—hard work and discipline were all that mattered.
She had been utterly confused the other day when her skill was officially checked in the Wayfarer's Accord building before heading out to the forest. That official check—the first she had ever experienced—was why she was now asking Arden about it.
Arden's lips parted slightly, disbelief written across his face. Hmm… she must be from the Midgar Empire, he thought. Is she… like a handmaid to the emperor of Midgar? That would explain everything.
Before he could respond, Micah/Kaid listened more attentively, as if something about this exchange had caught his interest.
Arden drew a slow breath and began. "A skill… is something every being is born with. No exceptions—well, almost no exceptions. It's the core of your existence, the foundation upon which your life unfolds. Every race—humans, elves, demons, all sentient beings—has a default skill. It defines what you are capable of, what you can master, how the world perceives you."
He let the words hang in the air. Elira frowned, processing. The concept was entirely foreign, yet something about it intrigued her. Arden's eyes softened slightly. "There are… exceptions," he added quietly, almost as an afterthought. "But that… that's a story for another time."Elira's eyes widened. "Exceptions… like exceptions?" she asked cautiously. Then, realization flickered across her face. "Wait… are those the outers, the ones Priya mentioned before?"
Arden nodded slowly. "Yes. That's exactly it. Priya(pria changed to Priya for better understanding) told you to identify yourselves as outers to the villagers," he explained, careful with his tone. "It was to… avoid panic, unrest. Nothing more. And—well, don't take this the wrong way—but your ears…" He gestured subtly.
Elira and Micah both tensed, but he continued gently. "They're… pointed. Not fully, but just enough to show you aren't ordinary humans. And your skin… it's hard to place. Slightly dark, slightly pale, almost like it doesn't belong to one or the other. That's why Priya said it would be best to use the term 'outers'."
Elira's brow furrowed, curiosity and unease mingling. "So… what exactly are outers?"
Arden drew a deep breath. "Outers are… beings born without the full measure of a skill, or beings outside the usual races. Dwarfs, ogres… lesser-known creatures. Some are born with deformities, some with powers—or lack thereof—that make them… unusual. Rare, extremely rare. In fact, there's only ever been one person recorded in history who was born completely without a skill."
Elira's eyes widened further. "Only one?"
"Yes," Arden said quietly. "Just one."
He hesitated, then added more weight to the moment. "And then… there are hybrids. They are even rarer. According to records, only three have ever been verified in the last three centuries. One was a half-elf. A once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. The other two… were executed. Both races considered them abominations."
Micah/Kaid listened intently, his interest sharpening. This was the kind of knowledge that fascinated him—the strange, the rare, the forbidden.
Elira swallowed hard, processing it all. The word outers, the existence of beings without skills, hybrids, the one person without a skill—everything made the world feel simultaneously bigger and smaller, stranger and more precarious.Elira was about to ask another question when a sharp shout cut through the air.
"Look out!" Priya's voice rang out.
Before she could react, a hideous goblin lunged from behind. Its claws were long and jagged, hair matted and filthy, its eyes glinting with feral cunning. It aimed straight for Micah, who was secured on Elira's back, his tiny shoulder directly in its path.
Instinct took over. Elira felt the sickening impact of the goblin's claws: piercing Micah's shoulder and scratching her back. Pain surged through her body—not just her own, but the infant's as well. Every nerve screamed.
Normally, Orscu would have reacted instantly, wrapping itself around her movements, guiding her through the attack, teaching her how to strike and defend. But this time… nothing. Orscu remained dormant. Every motion, every reaction, was purely Elira's. Raw, unfiltered rage.
Her mind sharpened. The goblin moved fast, too fast for an ordinary human, the way D-(d minus) monsters did—perfectly suited for sneak attacks, deadly if unnoticed. But she had spotted it. That tiny edge was enough.
She spun with lightning reflexes, grabbing the goblin by the throat. Its claws scratched at her face and back, the stench of its foul body filling her senses, but she held on. Anger flared hotter than reason. She held it firmly it started having troubles with breathing it struggled with the pain and with all it's might it clawed at Elira, bruising and scratching her but all wounds were ignored by Elira, she crushed its throat and it screeched as it's life left it slow but painful, Blood spattered across her skin, warm and sticky.
Immediately, she moved Micah to her front, cradling him protectively. His tiny injuries had already begun to heal rapidly, the flesh knitting together before her eyes. Even her own scratches started closing, though not as fast as the baby's—they were fast enough to catch attention.
She turned, rage still burning, meeting the stunned gazes of Priya and Arden. Their confusion was palpable(able to be touched or felt),mirrored in the silence that followed the clash. Elira herself didn't fully understand why she had been so furious, why instinct and fury had fused into this single, terrifying response.
The goblin lay lifeless at her feet, its D- threat neutralized by raw human? instinct. And for the first time, she realized just how deadly without Orscu's guidance, her body(this Nytheris body) could react when pushed to its limits and this terrified her.A few moments passed. Both Elira's and Micah's injuries had completely healed, as if the attack had never happened. Yet the air still hummed with tension.
Micah, oddly calm, did not cry or whimper. He simply stared at Arden and Priya with wide, attentive eyes, as though trying to understand everything at once.
Priya instinctively took a step back, her hand hovering near her weapon. Then, her voice cut through the silence, sharp and incredulous:
"What the hell are you?"
Elira met her gaze steadily. "I… don't know," she admitted quietly, her voice calm despite the blood and chaos that had just unfolded.
Priya's eyes flared lightning red, fury and disbelief intertwining. "After this mission, you're going to explain everything," she snapped, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Arden watched the exchange, his mind tracing back to the facts only he truly understood. Elira's healing—faster than any known demon—was staggering. Demons were legendary for their regeneration, yet her wounds had closed in seconds, far beyond even that threshold.
And there was more to it. Priya's only family, her one and only brother, had been killed by demons years ago. She knew the speed and danger of their regeneration firsthand. But this… this was on another level entirely.
The three of them stood in silence, the forest around them suddenly feeling smaller, as if the sheer weight of Elira's presence had shifted the air itself.Mucas and Collin came running, their faces pale and eyes wide with urgency.
"We found the orc settlements," Collin shouted between breaths. "This is bad… really bad. We may have to call reinforcements!"
Without hesitation, Arden, Priya, and Elira all rushed toward the site, moving with purpose and speed. Mucas hesitated for a heartbeat, his gaze flicking down at the goblin lying on the ground, its throat crushed. Confusion passed over his mind for a moment—what exactly just happened here?—but he shook it off, turned to himself with a silent question, and sprinted toward the scene.
When they arrived Brad who was sitting on a nearby tree glanced at them and noticed the visible tension and then faded back into the background, the sight that greeted them confirmed their worst fears. Goblins scattered around the outskirts, but dominating the area were the orcs: a warrior, a general, and at the very center, the king himself.
Arden's eyes narrowed as he surveyed them. "This is bad… really bad," he muttered.
Colin, observing quietly behind the group, noticed something else: the tension between Priya, Elira, and Arden. Priya's sharp gaze lingered on Elira more than once, and even without words, Colin could feel the unspoken weight in the air.
Arden quickly assessed the situation:
Regular Orcs: D-rank (D)
Orc Warrior: C-minus rank (C−)
Orc General: D-plus rank (D+)
Orc King: C-rank (C)
The number of orcs—over fifty strong—was far beyond what they could handle, especially with a C-rank king in their midst. Even with Elira's unexpected abilities, the sheer scale and coordination of the orcs made a direct confrontation suicidal.
Arden's decision was immediate. "We retreat," he ordered, his voice firm and unyielding.
As they fell back, Priya's eyes never left Elira. The tension in her gaze was unmistakable—a mixture of fear, confusion, and something unspoken, likely rooted in the raw power Elira had just displayed. Arden led the way, keeping a careful eye on their surroundings, while Colin silently noted the dynamics between the trio.
The retreat was swift, purposeful, and unspoken warnings hung in the air: the orc king would not be ignored, and the forest ahead was growing darker with threat.The group hurried into the Greenville Wayfarers' meeting room. The atmosphere was tense, thick with the aftermath of the orc encounter and the need for immediate action. Arden took the lead, eyes scanning the faces of Priya, Elira, Colin, and Mucas.
"All right," Arden said, his tone clipped, leaving no room for small talk. "Right now, the only capable Wayfarers here are the five of us. Everyone else is too low-ranked to handle a threat like that. If the orc forces grow, we may need reinforcements from the Adventurers Guild in the next town."
He turned to Mucas. "You—go immediately. See if you have any friends, anyone ranked D or above who can join us. I'll explain the details about the Adventurers Guild when you arrive there. Hurry. This can't wait."
Mucas nodded sharply, gratitude flashing in his eyes toward Arden. Without another word, he sprinted out, Colin trailing behind him silently. Colin's gaze flicked briefly at the tension between Arden, Priya, and Elira, then he shrugged to himself and departed, offering a quick excuse.
The room settled into a brief silence. Elira cradled Micah gently in her arms, the baby still recovering from his earlier injuries, cooing softly as if sensing the urgency around him. She observed the others quietly, her calm demeanor contrasting sharply with the tension in the room.
Priya's hand twitched toward her sword. She drew it in a fluid motion, placing the blade against Elira's throat with precision, her eyes burning with suspicion. "Your healing, your strength, your ears, your speed… all of it points to demon lineage," she said, voice low but deadly. "So tell me—why shouldn't I just squeeze your head off right now?"
Elira, still holding Micah, met Priya's gaze. For a strange, fleeting moment, she wondered to herself, Why am I so calm? A sword at her throat, the tension radiating from Priya—it should have terrified her. But it didn't.
"If you kill me," Elira said quietly, "you'll have one less capable warrior fighting beside you." Her hands tightened instinctively around Micah, who cooed again, drawing her focus. "Promise me one thing: even if you decide to harm me, please… take care of the baby."
Priya's eyes widened, fury and doubt mingling. "What the hell are you?"
Elira replied simply, "I don't really know. But I promise… I'll tell you everything, from the beginning. Everything. I promise."
The tension lingered as they settled, Pria still on edge and Arden standing close to Elira, a silent pillar of support. Slowly, Elira began recounting her story.
"I was the handmaid of the second queen," she began.
Priya scoffed. "Lies. Midgar… which second queen?"
"Elira," Arden interjected slightly, but Priya cut him off, her disbelief unwavering.
"Of the Midgar Empire," Elira continued.
Pria's voice rose in challenge. "Lies. There was no second queen. Everybody knows there is only one Queen."
Elira held her gaze, calm and steady. "The second queen is not widely known because of her origin. She was a hybrid—half-elf, half-demon."
Priya's brow furrowed, disbelief clashing with curiosity. Elira continued, thinking back: I should have asked more questions back then. "She was different… and after hearing Arden's explanation, I now know what she truly was. She was a half-elf, half-demon hybrid. The king—King Eldram von Midgar—had a son… the one whom I now carry."
Priya interrupted sharply. "Impossible. An elf and a demon can never have a child. That's biologically impossible."
Elira shook her head slowly. "I don't know how it happened. I'm just telling you the truth as I know it."
Arden subtly nodded to Pria, confirming his belief in her honesty. Slowly, Priya's tension eased slightly, though distrust still lingered.
Elira went on. "After giving birth, the queen died. The first queen wanted to kill the baby, but the king intervened. We escaped together. While fleeing, we were attacked by a giant wolf-like monster. It killed several of the first queen's pursuing soldiers, ripping through them and me. And as for me… I woke up with a sudden voice in my head, saying one word: Nytheris." And my body was like this when I woke up.
Micah cooed again softly, as if reacting to her story, but Elira held him gently, smiling faintly despite the gravity of her tale. "I realized afterward that I was stronger, faster… and my wounds heal quickly. I even developed highly sensitive hearing—like now, I can hear footsteps approaching the room."
Before she could elaborate further, a low-ranking Wayfarer burst through the door, panicked. "Swarm of goblins! They're attacking the village!"
Priya's eyes darted to Elira, a mix of pity and lingering doubt. Arden stepped closer, placing a hand on Priya's shoulder. "I don't know how, but she's telling the truth," he said firmly.
Pria exhaled sharply, understanding yet cautious. "Fine. Let's go. Protect the village first."
With that, the Wayfarers moved swiftly out of the meeting room, using the sling given by the accord Elira carried Micah but this time he was in front of her she didn't want to make the same mistakes twice , Arden walked at her side, as Priya lead(led) the charge.