Chapter 77 - Vol. 2 - 42

Ash

After visiting the site, the group began to head north for Sapphire. It would be a day's walk or so, according to Satsuhiro, and they were already a couple of hours into it. They had told him about the buff they received from the site they visited and Satsuhiro said that if they encountered any creatures on the way to the northern city, they'd take the time to eliminate them to secure some easy EXP. 

"So, what's Sapphire like?" Kaori asked. "I've read about it in books a few times but I don't really know any specifics." 

"Cold," Satsuhiro responded plainly. 

"They call it the City of Ice for a reason," Metsumi said, with Opah riding on her shoulders. "People usually just stay indoors most of the time. Honestly, I couldn't stand it. I came here one time on a family vacation and we lasted about three days before we were heading straight back to Jade." 

Hm. If even Metsumi doesn't like this place, I feel like I'm sure as hell gonna hate it there. Ash thought. 

"The monsters around the city are particularly dangerous," Satsuhiro added. "Almost all of them use Ice magic. One wrong move against them and you end up a block of ice waiting to be broken." 

"What kind of monsters are they?" Kaori asked. 

"Wraiths, ice snakes, double-headed bears, ice reavers. Those are probably the most dangerous. You see a reaver, you run." 

"And what's a reaver?" Ash asked. 

"A humanoid creature with teeth sharper than most knives you'll ever see. They're not the biggest creatures out there, but they're surprisingly quick, and what they don't have in size, they make up for with tenacity and speed. They're tough to take down too, so usually, it's just better to avoid them than try to fight one." 

Ash nodded. 

"Got it. Don't fight reavers." 

"Mhm. We're making good progress, with any luck, we'll be there by tomorrow morning," Satsuhiro said. 

Kaori walked up to Ash. 

"An ice city, huh?"

"Seems like it." 

"Ah, I'm so excited! You know, I've never seen snow before. I've always wanted to." 

"Snow... Oh, right." The only reference Ash had for that was the few time she heard about it in school when she still went. 

"I bet we'll see all sorts of new stuff. Apparently, at night, you can see colors in the sky! Oh, and I heard that, well, for some reason, spirits just walk around freely at night. Is that true?" Kaori turned to ask Satsuhiro. 

"Hm?" 

"That spirits walk around at night." 

"People say that, but I don't know. There aren't many instances of that being reported." 

"Not many?" Ash caught. "So, it has happened?" 

"Well, yeah," Satsuhiro replied. "But, spirits show up sometimes in any place you go to. There's not much that says Sapphire is special in that regard." 

That was how most of the walk was spent. Satsuhiro and Metsumi would occasionally give a fun fact or two regarding the place they were headed for. They didn't find any creatures on the way. Things seemed strangely vacant for the most part. The most exciting thing that happened while they were walking the long road was when a dragon flew over them. 

It was just before sundown, the group was walking down a small hill when Kaori saw it. 

"L-LOOK!" She had pointed up to the sky. 

And then, Ash heard it. A piercing roar, unlike anything she'd heard before. Wings flapping made the trees around them shake. A shadow cast over them and Ash looked up. 

Even from below, she could tell it was an enormous monster. A creature so large it could block out the sun as it traveled through the air. It didn't pay them any mind, instead, just flew towards the east. 

"Holy shit," even Ash felt impressed by the sight. 

"Burn that into your memory," Satsuhiro said. "You probably, well, hopefully, won't see one again for a long time. If you do, pray that it's not anywhere near you." 

---

At night, once they were closer, they set up a small camp, with the city clear to see in the distance. It had already started snowing softly. It had icy bright blue walls, that almost seemed like they were glowing in the darkness. One large tower at the back held a blue orb so bright it was almost its own star. 

Ash was sitting alone, looking towards it. In her hands, she had a sandwich she'd prepared, equipped with ham, cheese, and lettuce.

As she watched the city, Kaori moved to join her. 

"It's beautiful," Kaori said. "Seriously, that looks like it's from a dream." 

For a moment, Ash didn't say anything. Niven's words faintly passed through her thoughts. More demon than human. 

"... In a few days," Ash muttered, "we'll be fighting to keep it from being destroyed. And," she continued, "no one will even thank us for it. Well, no one's going to thank me." 

"I will," Kaori smiled brightly at her. 

"Hm, well, yeah, but..." 

"Besides, it doesn't matter what the people who live there do. All that matters is that we stop those demons. That's what we're here for. That's all our job is." 

Ash looked away. 

... Sure, but is some appreciation too much to ask for? She thought, taking a bite out of her sandwich. 

"And, honestly," Kaori kept going, "the best part about this job doesn't have anything to do with them. And that's everyone we've got here, you, me, Metsumi, Satsu, Opah, and Keiko. I could care less if they thank us for what we do." 

Ash paused.

"Yeah," Ash looked back at her. "I'm not doing this for them anyway. You're right." 

"... That said, if you or I get one more dirty look from people we're working to save, I swear, I'm gonna go crazy," Kaori said, stretching. Then, she shifted, turning and laying down so she could rest her head on Ash's lap. 

Ash chuckled at that, shaking her head with a smile. 

Yeah... I just need to calm down. She thought, taking a deep breath. Can't let Niven or whoever else get to me. Just stay focused. 

---

As Satsuhiro predicted, they arrived just a couple of hours after the sun had risen. It was already colder than Ash had prepared for. These clothes weren't made for this weather. The front gate was open. A long white bridge led to it, with a few guards stationed at its center. The group walked up to them and they held out strange spears with curved blades at the top. 

"H-, ah, Saviors?" One guard said, recognizing Satsuhiro who was wearing his armor specifically so that they wouldn't waste time being hassled by guards. "Right this way." 

"Hm?" Satsuhiro raised a brow. 

"There's a meeting currently underway. The portal hasn't grown, but Lord Ayn wants to move quickly with preparations," the guard pointed to the east. There it was, a large diamond-shaped portal, with demons already outside, looking around. Of course, since Ash wasn't being affected by Niven's Blessing, she assumed it hadn't spread its influence much at all. "Another Savior has already arrived." 

"Which one?" Satsuhiro asked. 

"Vermia." 

There was a moment of silence following that statement.

"... Shit," Satsuhiro muttered. 

"Who's that?" Ash asked. 

"She's... Whatever, you'll see. Lead us there." And then, as Satsuhiro and the others followed the guards, he mumbled, "out of all the top Saviors, she shows up?" 

Ash heard that and narrowed her brows, but figured it wasn't too big a deal. 

They were guided into the city, and Kaori gave an impressed "wow" as soon as they stepped foot inside. Most of the buildings were normal and made of stone, but a few were built with logs and had open windows, letting Ash see small fires inside. 

There were so many people outside, it was hard for them to move. Of course, as soon as they laid eyes on the half-demon, they all glared at her. Ash disregarded them. 

They weren't able to see too much, as they were taken to the western side of the city, through some alleys where they ended up at one of the bigger buildings in Sapphire, as far as Ash could tell. 

Here, they were led to a room up several flights of stairs, at the very top of the building. The guards bowed to them, leaving them here and Satsuhiro was the first to walk inside, followed by Ash. Metsumi went with the guards, as she wanted to go with Opah to a warmer place than this. 

And then, as they entered, Ash saw looked around.

There were just two people inside, along with one glowing orange orb in the middle. Ash immediately noticed this place was far less cold than the path leading up here was. Of the two people here, one was a man dressed like a noble, sitting at the table at the center of the room, and the other was a woman. That woman was standing at the back, by an open window that likely let her see most of Sapphire from this height. She was wearing a short dress composed entirely of black feathers and had a crown of black vines on her head. Her hair was a long, almost dirty grey, and her limbs were thin as though she hadn't eaten properly in a long time.

She heard the group enter and turned around, revealing a pair of pupilless white eyes.

This... This is the Savior?

Ash checked her level. 

Level 60

MP: 800/800

She had a sharp face, with small, colorless lips that curled into a little smile when she saw Satsuhiro. 

Ash raised a brow.  Then, she looked at Ash. 

But, instead of the glare the citizens gave her when she saw the half-demon, Ash saw her tilt her head and her eyes widen just a little. 

"Welcome, we were just getting started," she said slowly, with as soft a voice as Ash had ever heard. She then took a few steps closer to Ash and Satsuhiro.

She was a couple of inches shorter than Ash. She bowed and when she rose, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"My name's Vermia. It's a pleasure to meet you. And," she turned to Satsuhiro, "it's a pleasure to see you again, my apprentice." 

Ash's lips split. 

Her what?