Although the darkness has fallen,the full moon graced the forest with its blue light.Trails of bck smoke curled on a shadow fiend's tail.Teeth glowing sharply against the moonlight.Between the trees,the orange fmes glow with the murmurs of people.Their spears being sharpened and their quivers being filled with arrows.

  Looks like the tribesmen aren't the only ones who are preparing,as multiple shadow fiends rounded the vilge and found the opening with the least warriors.

  They're starving.They need to hear people scream,to be terrified.

  The moon was high above,a few wispy clouds slowly trailed in the night sky.A rge muscur man with a white beard and a machete on hand.He was looking towards the dark forest.His brows furrowed,alert and anticipating.Behind him were other men with spears,bows on hand,and torches.All waiting for the shadow fiends to come out.

  "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—"

  A scream from behind.

  The bearded man and the others turned.

  "Sir?"

  One of the warriors asked.

  "Bring some men and check it out."

  He said.

  He watched as the men departed to check what the scream was but a part of him has a hunch of what it was.He turned around to the rest.

  "Lot of you,follow me!Others,keep watch here!"

  He commanded.

  Footsteps thundered as they neared the direction.A warrior got flung and nded on a tree,a shadow fiend intentionally collided with the warrior.It turned,its sharp purple gaze set on the others.The warriors had pointed their spears on it and others started to draw their bows.The bearded man brought out his machete,he caught sight of a shadow fiend pounced on his peripheral,he swung his weapon,slicing the fiend's fore legs.

  The fiend nded on the side,there's no blood,only growing limbs back to its pce.The fiend stood once again,facing the man,growling.

  Then it again pounced.

  The warriors were head to head and teeth to teeth with the shadow fiends.They've been fighting every midnight with these monsters in the past 4 days.

  The bowmen need to position on the backline while the men with spears and machetes are fighting the fiends head-on.The arrows must target the fiends' faces as much as possible as it greatly slow their movements,especially their eyes.

  Some fiends still thrash around blindly while their faces are pierced while some resorted to become shadows which is still a great problem to the warriors.

  An arrow went through a fiend's jaw.It roared while the warriors took the chance while it's reeling in pain to pierce it's chest.

  The spearhead went against the chest but the warrior fell down.He almost got stabbed.The fiend transformed on it's shadow form and the dark mass went behind.It started to materialize while the warrior was still recovering from the fall.

  SHATTER!

  A gss bottle broke to a thousand shards then a blinding white fsh followed.

  Someone dragged the warrior away.When his eyes adjusted after the fsh,he recognized the white tattoos of the man's biceps.He looked up to see blue eyes looking serious ahead.He let go of him and went straight to the battlefield,sprinting,his arms behind and body low.

  The bearded man was surrounded by 3 fiends.One fiend jumped,its jaws wide open.His machete pointing straight to its mouth.A huge gust of wind blew the fiend away.

  The bearded man looked around to see Amallis,his white tattoos glowing.

  "Amallis,no!"

  He shouted,reprimanding.

  He didn't realize that another pounced on his side.

  "Father,look out!"

  Amallis was about to ask the earth.His tattoos starting to glow once again.

  A gss bottle nded.

  Explosion,which blew away the fiend and the bearded man.

  Sae stood there with a satchel and a belt of potions,she's taking another potion off her belt.Her eyes scan from left to right,3 shadow fiends being fend off by 3 people on the left and 2 being handled by 2 on the right.The're may be more but she can't cover more area with only one body.

  She knows what Amallis meant to ask for her help,but this is the first of her actually handling a rge cast of demons.

  ...

  The first of sunrise peeked behind the mountains and trees.Wounded warriors were being id against tree trunks while a couple of shadow fiend carcasses id on the ground.

  Sae is kneeling on one,trying to overturn it to examine it's chest.

  "Great,this one doesn't seem to have its chest damaged.A bigger chance to get a fresh heart,"she thought.She was about to leave to get a rge knife when Amallis called.

  "Sae."

  There's a hunched old woman beside Amallis.She wears a white dress with a brown shoal.Her long white hair is braided with beads on her forehead and wrists.

  "The vilge elders want to have a meeting with you."

  Sae entered a rge tent with wooden ptforms inside,in front of her is a tall ptform with 4 people seated on it.All are elderly,with their wrinkly faces and gray and white hair.

  "Sae."

  Amallis whispered towards her and patted a space beside him.She sat beside Amallis on a lower wooden ptform on the floor,facing the elderly.

  She studied the elderly's faces,all are looking at her seriously.She looks at Amallis beside her,his brows are furrowed and lips slightly pursed.

  The same old woman awhile ago entered and sat beside them.

  "Now that we are all here,let's begin with our discussion,"one of them announced.

  Sae drank a potion to temporarily understand the tribe's tongue but that doesn't mean she can speak the nguage.

  "Amallis,what's the meaning of this?,"asked a scrawny elder with a long beard.

  "As you can see,elder,she's an aid,"Amallis answered.

  "She's an outsider!,"sneered an old woman with a cat on her p.

  "Yes,"Amallis reluctantly nodded because of the way she regarded Sae.

  "Amallis,you are aware that we aren't hospitable when it comes to outsiders,right?"

  "But did you not see,she helped us!So what are you going to do then,make her leave?I can't just do that! ,"Amallis said in defense.

  The elders went quiet.It may be a time to reconsider such traditions but still this is Amallis' pn.

  "Amallis,we know that you mean well and you want the best for our vilge but are you sure?,"asked a sweet elder.

  "Yes,I am sure and st night is a testimony of that.If you are still unsure,the number of injured warriors have decreased and there were no casualties,"Amallis said.

  The elders all look at each other,a few shook their head.

  "Amallis,give us some time to think this over,"the scrawny old man concluded.

  Amallis and Sae went out.Amallis let out a sigh of relief,he turned to her with a smile.

  "So did I do well?,"he excitedly asked.

  Sae can't help but compare him to a big excitable dog.

  "Well,they still need to think it over and I wasn't kicked out,so I guess you did,"she said with a rational tone.She doesn't want Amallis to become more excited.

  "Yes,I did!,"he said to himself.

  ...

  Meanwhile inside the tent,some of the elders approached the braided old woman.

  "Micha."

  She fervently smiled.

  "Don't worry,I'll scold Amallis and question her motivations."

  Yes,the outsider did help them from the shadow fiends.However,they can't afford to be careless.The fact that some foreigner agreed to help and she's with Amallis,makes her suspicious.

  "Granny!,"Amallis said to the braided woman who just went out of the tent.He approached her like a child and Micha instead of regarding him with the same warmth grabbed his ear.

  "He—hey,what's wrong?,"asked Amallis,saying ouch in between.

  "You reckless young man,I heard from your father that you aren't around for a couple of nights,"she looked at Sae,"I think I know why."

  "I am doing it for the vilge,granny,and besides it's not like the vilge will be in wreck if I am not around for only a few nights!,"he said,"Now,could you please let me go?It's starting to hurt,"he pleaded.

  Sae meanwhile was about to get out but she has a hunch that Amallis' grandma will interrogate her next and she doesn't want to be physically dragged.

  Micha let's go of her grandson then rubs his red ear.She looks at Sae then approaches her with a sweet smile.

  "What do you want from Amallis?,"despite her smile her tone is serious.

  "Huh?"

  This woman can speak the common tongue!

  "What do you mean by that?,"Sae asked.

  "I think this is better to be discussed inside,when we are both warm and comfortable,right?"

  "Gra—grandma?"

  Amallis is worried.

  "Don't worry,dear,I only wanted to talk to dearie here,"he doesn't trust her grandma's sweet smile.What can you say,that's his grandma.

  Amallis went between her and Sae.

  "You know what grandma,I think it will be nice to let Sae rest.You know how exhausting st night is,right?"

  "Actually,I don't need to rest,"Sae answered bluntly.

  "Sae,"Amallis whined."You're not supposed to say that,"he whispered shouted.

  "Dear,you don't mind sharing a bit of your time,right?,"asked Micha.

  "I don't,"nodded Sae.

  "Great,follow me."

  Sae followed behind Micha meanwhile Amallis was left sighing.

  "Please,sit down,"Micha gestured to a garment.

  Sae sat down,they are inside a tent.

  "Let's continue,"Micha sat ."I am going to be straight forward,Sae right?"

  "Yes."

  "What do you want from my grandson?"

  Micha is serious and this time her face shows.

  "He locked me into a deal,that's all."

  Sae bluntly answered.

  "Hm,straight to the point,I like that~,"complimented Micha.

  "And how come he locked you into a deal,so you've known each other for quite some time?"

  Sae sucked her teeth,"Let's just say that I failed to betray him and I received consequences."

  Micha ughed,a loud jolly one.

  "Oh my,this is why you don't mess with him.Tell me,will you betray him again?"

  "No,I'll probably be dead."

  "That's good,you know your pce,"Micha said.

  "You care about him,"Sae said.

  "I don't mind making it obvious.I adore my grandson,"she said while nodding with a smile."And here I was worried you'll take advantage of him but you failed."She ughed again.

  "So are you two friends?I think not."

  Micha asked.

  Sae shook her head.

  "Hmm,"Micha puts a finger on her chin,"I hope you will never be more than that."

  Sae raised her eyebrow.

  "Hey!She did betrayed me but that doesn't mean we can't be friends!"Amallis shouted from the other side of the tent.

  "Eavesdropping is a bad habit,dearie!"

  Micha answered.

  "I can't help it!"

  Answered Amallis back.

  "I should go now."

  Sae excused herself and Amallis greeted her outside with many questions.

  ...

  Amallis decided to visit his father before returning to Sae.He was about to enter when he heard a conversation inside.

  "Have you considered that this is his fault,Rama?"

  "..."

  "Rama,I need your opinion."

  "...maybe...I...I don't really know."

  "What should we do then?"

  "What are you trying to make me say!"

  "....it's...it's nothing."

  "Leave."

  Amallis quickly hid.An elder went out.

  "I should go back,"Amallis thought.