The forest finally ended, giving way to rolling plains bathed in sunlight. The air smelled of grass and wildflowers, mixed with the faint, earthy scent of freshly tilled soil. For the first time in hours, the party could breathe without worrying about strange magical currents or lurking monsters. Birds called overhead, darting from branch to branch, and the wind whispered softly through the tall grass.
Rosalie flopped dramatically onto the ground, sending up a small cloud of dust. "I survived the deadliest forest ever! Barely!"
Garrick blinked down at her. "You… what?"
"Don't interrupt my moment of triumph, Bear of Justice," she said with a wink.
Leo puffed his chest, holding the Demon Lord's unconscious body like a hero carrying a fallen comrade. "Behold! Our heroic march of valor! Carrying this enigmatic stranger safely is my solemn duty. Nothing shall stand in our way!"
Garrick groaned, brushing mud off his sleeve. "Righteous march? He's heavy, and it is not a march. It is a slog."
Above them, unnoticed, a faint shimmer floated. The Demon Lord's soul hovered silently, imperious and unimpressed.
Fools. They stumble through the world as if it owed them reverence. Yet curiosity stirs, faint though it may be.
A shallow stream blocked the path, its gentle babble hiding a slippery bed of rocks. Leo stepped forward dramatically. "Fear not! This humble act of bravery shall echo through the ages!"
He ran, jumped, and splash—he flailed wildly as water sprayed in every direction. Rosalie grabbed a sturdy branch like a pole vault. "Watch and learn, amateurs," she shouted, only to drag Garrick in with her. Both slid sideways, arms flailing, mud splattering like paint.
Elion pinched the bridge of his nose from the bank. "If anyone had listened to my calculations, we could have avoided this. Never mind. Gravity still wins."
The Demon Lord's soul hovered nearby, unimpressed.
Leaping into water without thought. Brilliance incarnate. This generation fancies itself heroic, yet struggles against a trickling stream.
Leo scrambled out, soaked, glaring at the unconscious figure. "Do you not feel our devotion, mysterious warrior?"
Oblivious, all of you. And yet that one, Leo, persists. Curiosity, however faint, lingers.
By late afternoon, the party collapsed atop a small hill overlooking golden plains. The sun glinted off the grass, and a soft breeze carried the scent of wildflowers. Smoke curled lazily from distant village chimneys.
Leo fanned the Demon Lord with a broad leaf. "Only the finest treatment for a noble figure."
Rosalie snorted. "More like our sack of premium dead weight." She leaned on Garrick. "You are my walking mule today, Bear. Keep up."
"Do not call me a mule," Garrick muttered.
Elion unpacked their rations. "Observe. The great adventurers quarrel over a single stale biscuit. Truly, heroism at its finest."
Rosalie skewered a marshmallow on a stick and held it near a bush. "We'll have fire, just a tiny one, harmless."
A spark leapt, and the bush erupted in flames. Rosalie shrieked as Garrick yanked his cloak to smother it, dragging half the hill down with him. The rest of the party scrambled, slipping and rolling in a chaotic swirl of dirt and water, laughing and gasping. They paused briefly, tangled atop one another, catching their breath.
Above, the Demon Lord's soul drifted, arms folded.
Feasting and bickering over scraps while I lie in their care. Utterly laughable. Yet that Leo focuses with some measure of diligence. Curious.
Nearby, a group of squirrels chattered, eyeing the party's food. One grabbed Rosalie's snack and ran.
"HEY!" she shouted, chasing it and slipping in the mud.
Leo raised his arms. "Mighty woodland creatures, surrender your spoils to us, noble guardians of the plains!"
The squirrels ignored him. Garrick muttered something about adventuring being worse than fighting monsters.
The Demon Lord's soul hovered above, dry as ever.
Even the animals treat them with disdain. Scoff. Yet in the midst of chaos, they function together. Slightly amusing.
The plains sloped downward. Rosalie, convinced she could run gracefully while carrying her pack, tripped on a hidden rock. She slid, mud spraying like rain, and took Leo along with her. Garrick jumped in, trying to stop them, and ended up sliding as well.
They landed in a tangled heap at the bottom, chuckling, groaning, and blinking through splashes of mud.
The Demon Lord's soul floated above, exasperated.
This is their notion of heroism. Chaos, mud, and blundering. Fools, all. Yet one continues to intrigue.
A clucking chicken wandered into their path, eyeing Leo with suspicion. He froze, drew an imaginary sword, and bowed theatrically. "Halt, foul beast! You shall not threaten us!"
The chicken flapped and pecked at his boots. Leo yelped and toppled backward into the mud. Rosalie doubled over laughing, while Garrick muttered, "Of course."
Elion sighed. "At least they are harmless." He paused as a goat appeared, nudging his foot. "I suppose 'harmless' is relative."
Above them, the Demon Lord's soul observed silently.
So much chaos, so little comprehension. Yet the one called Leo continues to endure. Curiosity deepens.
As they trudged on, Leo misjudged a low-hanging branch and smacked his head, dropping the Demon Lord slightly.
"Careful, Leo!" Garrick shouted.
Rosalie giggled. "I think he likes being carried this way. Adds character."
Elion muttered about injuries and precautions, but even he could not hide a faint smirk.
The Demon Lord's soul observed silently.
Such clumsy devotion. Yet there is a stubbornness here I did not anticipate.
Finally, rooftops glittered in the late sun, smoke curling lazily from chimneys. The faint magical shimmer of the plains shifted subtly as if sensing the ancient presence above, though nothing stirred otherwise.
The party, filthy and scratched, stared at it like it was paradise. Leo raised his arms. "Behold, civilization, our respite. Witness our triumph!"
Rosalie leaned on Garrick's shoulder. "My knight in slightly tarnished armor, we survived everything together."
Garrick sighed. "Barely. And do not call me that again."
The Demon Lord's soul floated above, silently noting the party's bonds.
Marching proudly toward civilization, oblivious to how laughable they are. Yet one among them continues to hold my attention. The one called Leo.
A curious villager peeked from behind a building, eyes narrowing at the mysterious, unconscious figure being carried. Children ran past, giggling and pointing at their mud-splattered clothes.
"Look! Heroes!" one shouted, clearly teasing.
Rosalie waved enthusiastically, slipping again and landing in a puddle with a splash. "Thank you! We are heroes of legend!"
Leo straightened his soaked tunic, chest puffed. "Indeed! This humble act of bravery shall echo through the ages!"
A goat appeared, sniffing the Demon Lord's wrapped form suspiciously. It nudged Leo's shoulder, sending him stumbling backward into Rosalie. The two of them ended up in another puddle, splashing and cackling.
Garrick muttered something about livestock being more dangerous than monsters.
Elion sighed. "At least they are harmless." He paused as the goat nudged his foot.
Above them, the Demon Lord's soul lingered, silent but attentive.
So. Civilization. And fools persist. Intriguing still.
A villager stepped forward, holding a basket of apples. "Are you… adventurers? And is that a human under that cloak?"
Rosalie tilted her head, eyes sparkling. "Yes, and he is a mysterious warrior of untold power! We are delivering him safely, of course."
The villager raised an eyebrow. "Right. You are covered in mud, and there's a chicken on your shoulder."
Leo waved solemnly. "All part of the journey."
The Demon Lord's soul lingered, silent, watching carefully.
So much noise. So much foolishness. Yet the one called Leo continues to endure. Curiosity… deepens.
The sun dipped lower, and the village lights flickered on. The party trudged forward, mud-slick and exhausted, still laughing and teasing one another. For now, they were safe, their next adventures waiting just beyond the village gates, and the ancient observer above was left with nothing to do but watch, scoff, and plan.