Legend of the Misfit

"I didn't mean to cause you this much trouble; I'm sorry." She bowed her head.

"Uhm…What's a hybrid?"

She gave Killian a confused expression. "I am half-human."

Raiden and Killian exchanged glances. 

"Did I say anything wrong?"

"We just haven't heard anything like that before. Pardon our awkward behavior." Raiden said, patting Killian on the shoulder with a faint smile.

Ahvi got on her feet and asked if she could go with them on their journey.

"Aren't you afraid, a human among demons? What if we go hungry?"

"Hybrid. And I don't think you two would do such a thing. After all, you carried me this far."

[Oh yeah… Humans are just that naive,huh?]

Raiden agreed to let her go with them. Killian initially thought he was just being his kindhearted self, but there was more to it.

Raiden didn't want to waste any more time standing in one place, yet he was eager to learn more about Ahvi.

"Ahvi, how exactly did you get here?"

Ahvi hesitated for a second. "I guess I can tell you. I'm in debt to you guys after all." She grinned.

The two took the lead, and Killian followed behind, with his hands tucked in his pockets.

"I've been in the demon realm since I was five. I lived in a human realm until I suddenly got pulled into this realm. 

"The researchers in the circuit tried numerous experiments on me. I had no idea what they were looking for, but they turned me into a demon in the process. For seven years of their experiments, they deemed me a failure and brought me here."

"So is it safe to say you despise demons?"

She turned to Killian with a smile, "No. I hate a few of the researchers, but some were kind to me. After years of torture and unbearable pain, at a point all I wished for was to die. But a few of the demons came and checked on me, tried to console me, and a lady demon once tried to help me escape but got caught."

She rested her chin in her hand. "I don't know what happened to her, though."

[Such a weird girl. She doesn't even know she was probably killed.] He let out a sigh.

"About the shadows, if you had such an army at your disposal, why didn't you escape?"

Her expression softened. "Shadows? I was knocked unconscious in the circuit, and the next thing I saw were you two."

Raiden looked at her with a concerned expression. "Will you be returning to your realm now?"

She tilted her head to the ground and let out a sigh. "I wish I could; I will probably try, but I doubt I will be accepted. I am half demon after all."

"I am Raiden, and this is Killian."

She laughed, "I think I know that already. I heard you quarreling over and over again."

Raiden smiled.

The conversation suddenly stopped. Their surroundings fell silent, with only the sound of their dragged feet echoing through the thick air.

Humans from different realms were often summoned by the researchers. The purpose of their experiments remained unknown, but rumors suggested that the demon lords sought to create the ultimate army using only humans.

"That is huge." Ahvi began stepping backward slowly and steadily.

"Kill!"

Killian slid through the snarler's legs and slashed its flesh open. As he tumbled forward, he hurled the dagger at Raid before he collided with a tree. Raiden leaped into the air and swiftly sliced the snarler's head off.

They both let out a sigh. Killian got up and brushed himself clean.

Ahvi began applauding them. Raiden and Killian exchanged glances in frustration.

"Are you going to do this whenever we defeat a snarler?"

She gave a firm and excited nod.

"You are really impressive, Killian. How can you fight this well without an affinity?"

Killian shook his head in annoyance.

"I know, right? I wonder about that sometimes."

He glanced at himself and shook his head, trying to brush off their praise.

They were a day away from getting to the artifact. They grew comfortable with killing snarlers now, yet the snarlers never cease coming.

Their time together helped them grow accustomed to Ahvi's presence, yet her naive behavior was too much for Killian.

"Did you see that?" 

"What?" 

"I just saw someone standing there."

"I saw it too, kill."

They braced themselves for any attack.

Suddenly, a thread whipped around Killian's leg, and before he knew it, he was hanging upside down from a tree.

"Leave the girl, or I'll kill him." A voice yelled from the woods.

Raiden stayed alert, shielding Ahvi and scanning around for the source of the voice.

"What the… Why me? You could easily taken Ahvi if she was the one you wanted." Killian yelled.

Raiden's expression softened. With a flick of his fingers, hellfire struck the thread, burning through it. Killian crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

"You could have killed me, you know?" 

"Stay down, kill." 

Raiden slowly placed his dagger on the ground, raised his hands, and bowed. Ahvi followed his lead. 

"We mean no harm, and I can assure you the girl isn't a hostage."

Yet, no response from the thread user.

[This is where being polite gets us.] Killian sighed as he lay flat on the ground.

Ahvi got up with her hands raised. "My name is Ahvi, and I am a hybrid." She glanced around.

"I am not a hostage; I was rather saved by these two."

They neither heard nor smelled anything—the next thing they knew, a girl and a lady were standing before them.

"Really?" The girl asked.

The lady smiled, "If that's the case, then you guys should join us."

Raiden and Killian got up, but the girl continued to stare at them. Her lingering gaze and quiet chuckles made it clear she was wary of them.

Ahvi, she whispered. "They are hybrids."

[Impressive; they are very good at hiding their presence.]

They followed the lady's lead to her small chamber. She offered them a seat and began the introduction.

She introduced herself as Sherry and the girl as Zeya. They were both humans who were summoned into this realm for experiments, but were deemed failures. Just like Ahvi, they had been knocked unconscious, and the next thing they knew, they were in the Wildlands with red ink.

Killian listened with his elbow propped against his leg and his chin resting on his fist, completely uninterested.

Yet, they continued anyway.

Sherry was summoned when she was ten, and Zeya at three. They had both been in the demon realm for over ten years.

After the never ending introduction, they went on and on about their world—the "real world," as they called it. A world of only humans, with no magic or demons. A world with just one sun and one moon.

[This sure seems boring.]

They listened to the girls chat for almost an hour, but Raiden grew impatient and asked if they could continue our journey.

This was a golden ticket for Killian.

"I'm grateful for your kindness, but I think I will stay with Sherry and Zeya. I'm sorry."

Ahvi said with a bowed head.

Raiden assured her not to worry. 

Killian turned to Sherry with a faint smile and scratched my head. "Would you mind telling me how exactly you hid your presence from us?" 

She reached for a necklace and showed it to Killian. "We used this artifact. I could help you get one if you are interested."

[Raiden wouldn't agree to this. I will have to come back later.]

"Sure, where?"

"At the border of the cursed and forbidden forest."

"Wait, that's exactly where we are going."

She suggested taking them there.

Killian called Raiden over to hear what Sherry had to say.

After hearing her out, Raiden agreed with the idea.

According to the map, it would take them at least a day to reach the border. However, the route Sherry suggested would take them there in just a few hours.

It was a route she discovered on her quest for artifacts. Though narrow, it was the shortest route she knew.

"Don't worry, we can take you there. We have nothing to do after all."

Her actions were too kind for Killian. To reassure himself that he was doing the right thing, he borrowed Raiden for a brief moment.

"Is this ideal? I mean, we just met them."

Raiden gave him a firm nod. "Don't worry, Kill."

With no time to waste, they began making their way to the border.

There were no monsters to kill or flee from, but the route was its own journey. Sharp spines and thorny branches tangled across the path, leaving barely enough way for a person.

Their legs tangled with vines on the ground as they carefully tilted their bodies with precision to navigate through.

After hours of struggle and precise movements, they finally arrived at the border.

The atmosphere at the border was overwhelming. Thick clouds clashed, creating a heavy, smoke-filled sky. Lightning struck unpredictably, each bolt a deadly threat. A single misstep could mean the end. The howling wind was so strong that they couldn't even hear themselves speak—but they held our ground.

The artifacts' location began blinking rapidly on the map. Raiden pulled out a rope and tied it around his waist, handed Killian the other end, folded the map, and laid it flat on the ground.

He began crawling forward, stabbing his dagger into the ground to anchor himself against the wind.

Killian clutched the edge of the rope tightly, his grip firm. And in no time, Raiden's figure blurred from Killian's sight.

Sherry gestured for Ahvi and Zeya to head towards the other side of the border in search of the necklace.

They returned in no time, but Raiden was still within the border. The rope continued to unravel until it suddenly stopped. Killian gave it a firm shake—it was still tied. But then, the clouds grew darker, the wind howled even stronger, and lightning struck relentlessly.

"What the…"

Killian instinctively began pulling the rope, and the others quickly joined in. Together, they pulled him out. Raiden clutched the artifact tight against his neck, but he was completely unconscious.

The lightning bolt streaked towards them and left them with no option but to find a way out of there with Raiden.

They exchanged glances, and without hesitation, Killian hurled Raiden onto his back, covered him with his cloak, and forced his way through the narrow path.

The branches pierced his skin, tearing at his flesh with every step, but he pushed forward.

All Killian could think about at that moment was getting Raiden to safety.