“Excuse me!” Takana shouted at one of the workers of the tavern. “We’d like to order!”

“What would you —, oh it’s you people.”

“You know us?” I said.

“Yup, and not only me, maybe everyone here knows who you are. Just wait a minute, I’ll go and call the boss.”

“Did you hear her? We’re famous!” Takana’s smile was as wide as the ocean. He put his hands on my shoulder and started rocking me. He was like a kid who’d been given money or a candy. “I knew my time will come! Now I can finally go and tell that guy from the restaurant that I’m not a loser.”

“But he is right. You are a loser.” Fuyuki said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“It’s a good thing I’m in a good mood or else, I would have made you cry.”

“Can we take that as an approval that you won’t get angry even if we insult you?” Merry said.

“Good idea, Merry!”

“Sure, I’m a different man today. No matter how many insults you throw, this man won’t get angry.” He nodded his head back and forth.

“Are you sure? You still look like a monkey, though.”

“Hey!” his brows immediately furrowed. “You can insult me anywhere but not my face! That’s my pride!”

“If that’s your pride then your pride must be low.” Merry said.

“Okay, I take back what I said! Screw both of you!”

“You sure are a loud bunch. Well, that’s to be expected since you’re here in my tavern.” A tall man with one arm said.

I stood up and said “You must be the owner. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Terrin.”

“Rogal, Likewise.”

“So why did you want to talk to us?”

“I really didn’t come here to talk. I came here to thank you people.”

“Thank us?”

“Yup. A lot of wanderers and soldiers that were regulars here died because of that son of a bitch. Some of them were my friends and some of them were good people. If it weren’t for you, a lot of them would have died for nothing. So in behalf of them, I’d like to say thank you. Also, whatever you want, it’s on the house.”

“Seriously!?” Takana stood up and slammed both of his hands on the table. He was pretty happy about it. “You can’t turn back, okay? Shake my hand! Shake my hand, so it’s a deal! I would have put it in paper if there’s paper here. Does anybody have paper!? Come on, just a paper! What are you people, deaf? I said paper!”

Merry and Fuyuki stopped Takana from talking. I could only say that the hold of Merry to him was pretty painful. “Everyone, I’m sorry about that. What he said was yes and a thank you.”

“I’ll, uhh, leave you to it.” Rogal left.

The second the two let go of Takana and his mouth, he exploded. “Why did you stop me!? What if he didn’t hold the end of his bargain, huh!?”

“Calm down! Do you really love food that much!?”

“Yeah, I do! I’ll kill just so I can eat for free!”

“Okay, now you’re being overdramatic. Go ahead and order some food.”

Thank God, he calmed down. “Fine.”

Takana ordered a lot of beer and steak. He was munching on them like there was no tomorrow. Fuyuki ordered a juice and unsurprisingly, fried fish. Kihana ordered a salad, a fried chicken, water and a juice. Merry, which we all knew like the back of our hand, ordered fish. Not just a fish. Fried fish, grilled fish, fish in a soup and many more fish-related foods. I could tell she wanted to go all-out but, as usual, she ate elegantly as she could, though she couldn’t resist it, so there were breaks here and there. As for me, I ordered juice and a steak.

I would have eaten a lot if I weren’t going somewhere after that celebration. I might have even drunken a beer if I being sober wasn’t necessary for tonight. But it did, so I had no choice.

“How’s your food, Takana?” I said.

“I’m not going to share it to you, you idiot.”

“What? I was just asking.”

“Asking? Then what’s next? Is it ‘Oh, that looks tasty, can I have some?’? You’re a hundred years too early to be pulling that on me!” He was already drunk at this point.

This guys a lost cause? Can I tell him that? Surely, it wouldn’t hurt, right? Yeah, it would. I better don’t.

“Sorry, I’m late guys.” Foulk finally came. I told myself I was going to treat him but since this was free, well, I didn’t exactly treat him. We all told him what time we were going to meet here but uncharacteristically, he was late.

“Hey man, where you’ve been?” Takana said drunkenly.

“Sorry, my wife needed me for a little bit of cleaning.”

“Oh, well, as long as you —“his eyes bulge the instant he understood what he said. Even I was shocked but not as shocked as Takana.

“Wife? Did you say wife? You have a wife?”

“Yeah,” he had that ‘in love’ looked on his face. Adding to the fact that it was making Takana even more agitated and since he was drunk, oh boy, only God knew where this was going.

“A-Aren’t you a bit young to be married…?” Kihana said.

“Not really. It’s only normal here to get married at this age. It’s actually peculiar that you guys aren’t married yet.”

“Well, we just don’t care about that stuff.” Fuyuki said. “What’s she like?”

“Oh, she’s just lovely. Waking up next to her everyday is an absolute godsend. Not only that but I also have a son and a daughter. They’re both young, so she needs some help from time to time. Life is hard but with them by my side, it’s not that much.”

“That’s so sweet!”

Takana’s about to explode. Guess I have to cover my ears now. All done.

“What the hell!? You’re the same age as me but you already have a wife and kids!? Okay, maybe the kids are too much for me but a beautiful wife!? What the fuck! I’m more handsome than you but you got laid first!? Fuyuki, do it with me now!”

“Die, you trash!”

After they heard that, Merry punched Takana in the face and Fuyuki kicked him on the stomach, simultaneously. Takana flew to the wall but surprisingly, he was okay except for the broken nose.

Takana, I wonder what Kihana thinks of you now…

But what was really in my mind was what would happen tonight. After this celebration, I would go to the forest of Zone Three, where I met Nimog, and talk to him about Shakna.

Can he really be trusted? I mean, if he wanted to kill me that would have been easy. So he’s not going to kill me. At least, not yet. But what are we going to talk about? And how can she communicate with Shakna while I can’t? There’s so many stuff that I don’t know that it’s making me crazy!

Surprisingly, I got slapped in the face. “That’s how you do it.” Takana said.

“W-What?”

“Sorry, I was calling you but you were so out of it and then Takana saw what I was doing, so he came over and slapped you, which I didn’t tell him to do.” Foulk explained.

“Oh, uhh, it’s okay, maybe the alcohol’s getting on me.”

“You’re not drinking alcohol, dumbass. This is a juice. What they serving juice with alcohol now?”

“Oh, sorry, maybe I’m just tired. Anyway, what’s happening?”

I didn’t notice Foulk asking me something, so I just changed the topic and talked to him.

The celebration lasted for a while but after that, we all went home. Takana was a total wreck. He was drunk, so I had to support him again. The others seemed tired, too.

Perfect. It seems sneaking out tonight wouldn’t be a problem.

Everybody went to their rooms. I laid down Takana on his bed, just like before, and went to my room. Merry just finished changing when I entered the room.

“Let’s sleep.” She nodded.

*

I didn’t know how many minutes or hours had passed. Merry wasn’t moving or making any noise, so I assumed she was asleep.

I quietly stood up and grabbed my gear. It wasn’t hard to get and I didn’t make any noise when I reached for the door. Or so I thought.

“So, this is why you’re acting out of it lately.”

Merry…

“W-What do you mean? I’m just going to the bathroom…”

“Who goes to the bathroom with their dagger on their hand?”

“…”

“So, where are you really going?”

“Sorry, I can’t tell you…”

“Is it dangerous…?”

“Probably…Though I don’t know much about it...”

“Will you…Will you come back?” I could see her face in the dark and it was probably the most frightened face I’d ever seen on Merry. It made my heart tightened and compared to the curse I had, this was much worse.

She bit her lip. She most probably wanted to stop me but I couldn’t stop now. I had to do this.

“Of course, I will. I still have to fulfill my promise to you, right?”

It didn’t make her worries go but her face wasn’t the same as before. I took that as her approval to let me go out.

“I’ll be right back.”

Don’t worry, Merry. I’ll return to you. I’ll return to you, guys. I’m sorry I left but this…this is something I had to see.

*

Zone Three was like something out of a horror movie in the night. The destroyed houses and establishment made the place like an apocalypse. The eerie sound of nocturnal animals made the place more vivid.

I hope there’s no kasak around…

Kasaks, just like humans, were diurnals. But that didn’t mean that all kasaks were asleep. Some of them seemed to be guarding their groups.

Going there wasn’t much of a hassle. If it they weren’t assassins, maybe it would have been too hard but thankfully, not for me.

I made it into the forest where Nimog and I met before. I immediately saw a torch in the forest. It was like a crumb in the middle of an ant colony.

I hid first, so I could know if there was a trap or something but it turned out, it wasn’t necessary.

“Come out. I already know you’re there.”

What? I was silent all this time…

“How’d you know?”

“It’s good to see you, my queen.” He ignored me.

“Follow me, human.”

Our destination wasn’t that far but it still took about ten minutes. I could clearly see that he was slowing himself just so that I could catch up.

His place was cave. It wasn’t high for him but compared to me, it was. Inside, there was a campfire with a pot boiling on top of it. There was a stone, in what seemed like a table, surrounded by chairs and a bunch of books were on it. A expensive-looking closet was on one side and there were also a bunch leaves on one side.

Maybe that’s where he sleeps?

“Stop looking around, human, you won’t be here for long.”

“What am I exactly here for?”

“You’re here to listen to what I’m going to say.”

He sat on one of the chairs. “Do you know who’s inside of you?”

“It’s…Shakna, right?”

“Good. It seems you know that much at least.” He rubbed his ears. “Do you know the reason why she’s inside of you?”

“Not really. I’d only learned that she was inside of me all along yesterday.”

“Since you know, how does that make you feel?”

“I’m fine with it. I feel like she would be safe with me. But what I’m not fine with is why are you asking me these questions?”

“I have to know if you’re in our side or the enemy’s side. You’re eyes says you’re neutral about both. I hope my queen’s not wrong about you.”

He went to see what happened to what he was cooking. He opened the lid and smoke came out.

The smell was disgusting. It was like a bunch of rats that died because of eating spoiled eggs. Why did I know how that smelled like? I didn’t even know why.

“What…What are you cooking?” I pinched my nose.

“It’s your food.”

“But I already ate…”

He laughed. He laughed like it was the last days of his life.

He closed the lid and then solemnly said, “My Queen has a sister called Castella. She’s one of the five witches remaining. She’s not her biological sister but they had been together and think of each other like sister.”

“If she had a sister, why didn’t she help her when the king and his vassals went here?”

“You imbecile!” he roared. It was more than enough to take out my dagger. “She wanted to save her but her position was far. She only knew she was attacked when she died. Don’t point your dagger at me, human.”

That makes sense…

“Sorry about that…”

“Hmp. Although if I think about it, it doesn’t make sense how the king and his vassals killed my queen.

“Huh?”

“Nothing, just an old monster's rumblings. Anyway, you have to go to her sister.”

“What!? Why?”

I was shocked. This was a huge step. I’d never been outside of town except going hunting.

“If anyone can help her, it has to be someone as knowledgeable and powerful like a witch, right?”

Right…

“But how am I supposed to tell my party that we are going to leave town?”

“That’s your problem.” he picked up something from the expensive-looking closet and gave it to me. “Take this. Listen to me when I say, never lose it. It’s my queen’s ring that she received from her sister.”

“All right…”

“Now that I had tell you everything, can I ask of you of something?”

“What is it?”

“Give me your dagger.”

I stepped back. I pulled my dagger out again, preparing for combat.

“I just need it to cut something.”

“Don’t you have your own?”

“Surprisingly, I don’t.” he laughed.

This kasak…

“If I wanted to kill you, I could have done it earlier, right? And I could do it without your dagger, anyway.”

Damn, he’s scary.

What he said made sense, so I reluctantly gave him my dagger.

“A crude dagger but it should be barely enough.”

“What are you going to use it for?”

“I don’t care whether you eat it raw or cooked, just eat it. It’s for Shakna.”

“What?”

Before I could even ask anything, he roared and stabbed his chest. he made a circle in his chest where his heart was. After that, he took out his beating heart. Blood fell as he gave me his heart.

Of course, I was reluctant. Heck, I was perplexed and scared. Someone’s literal heart was in front of me and was telling me to literally eat it.

“For…For the…Queen.” That was his last words before he fell with his heart on his hands.

What the hell is happening…he’s dead. But he didn’t tell me why I should eat the heart. He just said ‘for Shakna’ but that should be enough reason why.

I picked up the heart and thought about whether I should eat it raw or not. I decided to eat it cooked but I wasn’t going to put it in the pot. I picked up my dagger, stabbed it into the heart and hold it on top of the fire.

If Takana was here, he would tell me what the hell I’m doing. Maybe that’s what Takana is good for, he makes you realize what you don’t realize.

After a while, there were still some blood on it but it looked edible enough.

It’s okay to eat this, right? Okay, I’ll just do it! Okay, I know it’s inappropriate but it actually doesn’t taste that bad.

After eating, I stood up. Now what’s going to happen?

Suddenly and unsurprisingly, my stomach ached. It was like something exploded in there. There was something making its way on my mouth. I kneeled down and tried to reach in my mouth to my throat what it was since it was very painful. When I grabbed what was in there, I took it out and threw it.

What the hell! I coughed a few times and then checked out what it was.

There was a small round shape like cocoon. It was beating just like the heart I ate before. Slowly, the round shape cocoon grew in size, maybe the size of a child. Then the cocoon was slowly tearing itself apart as if somebody or something wanted to come out. When the cut reached the end, I saw the most unexpected thing I would see in the middle of the night inside the cave of a kasak.

“I’m finally out!”

It was a small girl.