Chapter 2
Narrator POV
The two girls were face to face. The woman inside the armor lowered her weapon for a moment, out of the feeling of finding someone alive after so long, but her rational thinking made her raise it again based on the logic that in this realm "there are no longer sane beings, much less those that retain their human features," or at least not that she knows of.
The girl in front of her wore clothes that were completely unfamiliar to her. An unbuttoned, brown, masculine jacket, an elegant head-to-toe suit with a dark-colored tie, several rings on one finger, and black shoes as well, something that didn't make sense to the woman in armor at first glance, so she assumed she was from a neighboring country. Her skin was white, and she had emerald-colored eyes that were <
—Hey, you're from the neighboring kingdom, Grintol... right? —Rin was surprised to hear this statement and her surprise was evident to the woman in front of her, who smiled at her—. Your armor gives you away—Rin didn't understand how her armor could reveal her origin, armor like this could be made for some general too, although there was also the fact that no one survived the mist disease, but she should keep in mind that not even the greatest magicians could pass through that mist without converting.
—Are you an enemy or a friend? Or are you with the one who created this mist? —Still on the defensive, Rin begins to ask questions in a threatening tone.
—The second question is easy to answer, no, although the first one depends on what you answer me about it—his serious and appreciative tone of voice made it have a certain threatening touch.
—My answer is friend then... Of course that is if you are not lying to me, right?
—I am not an enemy of anyone who is trying to find an answer to the mist—she smiles with a certain irony in her voice.
From one moment to the next the tension was broken and Rin said
—.! It fills me with peace knowing that I'm not the only sane one in this place—her tone seemed more relieved and the sigh she let out was a sign of that.
The other girl, for her part, confidently walked towards the armor with sure and continuous steps until she was in front of it.
"My name is Sherlock Holmes," he extended his hand, which was received with a handshake, and then he moved away again a little.
—My name is Rin. And one question first: How did you know I was sent from the neighboring kingdom? —asks a curious Rin.
—For your Armor—he points his finger at Rin.
—My Armor?—she looks at herself.
—In your home kingdom there is a high religious belief that is related to the color white, attracting good luck and protection from the gods, according to the books. In addition, also from what I have read, you are one of the few who have an incredible attention to detail in your armor and most important weapons, supposedly to demonstrate your commitment— she was very sure of her words, and in Rin's eyes, all of Sherlock's statements were correct, although he still does not understand her origin because of her strange clothing—. I'm right, right? — A cold and indifferent tone came out of her, and on Rin's part, she just nodded still confused.
—I'm looking for the origin of the concentration of magic, which is located in the depths of the forest—Rin points in the said direction, Sherlock just looks and says.
—I am also looking for the origin or rather, the catalyst to destroy it so we are going in the same objective.
The word magic catalyst was not entirely unknown to Rin. A catalyst is a magical artifact that serves to enhance spells, or at its most basic, since it has many more uses, but the first one is the most common to see.
—So... Would you mind if I accompanied you on your trip? —Rin was surprised and happy at the same time to hear this question—. Don't be confused... I have little to no interest in working with someone else, but I think it's more convenient for both parties, since we have the same goal in mind—Rin was a little disappointed to hear that statement, but in a way the girl was right. They both had the same goal and were going to the same place, it wasn't a bad idea to make an alliance at this moment.
—It's fine with me, I think having more company besides my diary will be nice.
"Fine," the girl only uttered short, sharp words.
So both of them joined together in the direction of a destination that was undecided, but at least now both of them had company in that immense whiteness that surrounded the entire "kingdom of Azalot."
Several hours later—Depths of the forest.
The trees were eerie, the mist was mystical, the silence was penetrating and discouraging. Several hours had already passed since their journey together began. And both girls were walking towards the mana concert, which was getting closer and closer, but even so, time for Rin was desperate. As I repeat, several hours had passed since they had begun their journey together, but not a single conversation in all this time, which was incomprehensible to Rin. She was always a person who liked solitude, it is true, but even for her several weeks without any kind of contact with another sane being was uncomfortable, and now that she had one by her side, it remained completely silent, it was like traveling alone as who could say. And as if the environment did not help, the thick forest was really uncomfortable to explore. Not only because of the danger that a creature would attack you by surprise, but also, the unbearable silent sound of nothingness that penetrated the sanity of any person. Not to mention that Rin was full of questions about the girl who called herself Sherlock Holmes. <> Rin thought, although she didn't really know if in her culture that name could be considered masculine.
—Hey...—Sherlock looked at Rin, his expression not seeming to contain any emotion—...
—...—(Awkward silence)
—You... aren't from around here... right? —Rin spoke with a little hesitation.
—No..., in reality I couldn't even be considered alive—Rin felt a chill run through her skin upon hearing the girl's words, who, although she thought she was joking, her expression when she said that didn't let her think like that, besides she didn't seem like the type of person who liked jokes.
—No! —he swallows—. You're not alive, are you like a ghost then?
—I am actually what sorcery calls a familiar or summoning—The same tone of voice left Rin even more confused, due to the calmness and normality with which he said it.
—What! But aren't familiars or summons supposed to be magical beings? I've never heard of summoning people's spirits? In fact, I would attribute your summons to the style of necromancy/magic that revives the dead, but I've never met anyone who can revive the dead with consciousness and memories of when they were alive! —Rin's surprise is not hidden for a moment and with good reason, necromancy was the most logical thing to do, but Sherlock immediately shakes his head.
—Necromancy only works with corpses and as such does not bring them to life, at least not at the level that this ambiguous era has, but they are manipulated with magic and have neither memories nor consciousness, although I heard in life of a necromancy magician who could bring the consciousness of beings with little reasoning and who will act by instinct, like animals..., if I do not remember more it was when I studied the case of a heroine called Joan of Arc, who was not from my time, but I had knowledge of her through a Noel ark, but that is indifferent now. I am summoned directly from where the flow of the mana of the world comes from, that is, "the transparent world". I am a person who at some point died and instead of going to heaven, hell or purgatory my existence was appropriated by the flow of magic, and taken to what they call the root of magic—Rin did not seem to understand very well, but she understood the concept of the flow of magic, and that is what surrounds the whole world and one of the factors that connect different worlds to places outside this plane, places like heaven where the celestials come from or hell where demons emerge were connected to earth, and vice versa.
—I think I understand, but I don't understand when you died, because your clothes are unknown to me from some ancient culture—I point to her clothes.
—That has nothing to do with it—Sherlock stated indifferently—. As such, the flow of magic is not connected to anything like time, so it is possible that I come from a distant future or perhaps from a prehistoric past where my world died and reemerged in yours—Rin seemed interested in the subject of the conversation, but she could not debate the topic since she had to address other matters.
—And who was your summoner? Are there any other wizards alive? Are there others like you? Do they know how to stop this? What is their guard? Are there ways to stay alive inside the mist? What brought you here? —she stood above Sherlock with a tone almost deranged with curiosity, or rather with the desire to understand what surrounds her.
—! Calm down! —a strong tone of voice made Rin step back and realize what she was doing.
Silence began to form between them.
—...Sorry—her voice was very weak, you couldn't see her face because of the armor, but you could tell from her tone of voice that she was sorry.

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The shadow over azalot
Author: lycorisandaster
Fantasy
Ongoing · 10.2K Views
39 Chs
CONTENT
RATINGS
NO.200+
SUPPORT
Synopsis
A mysterious and sinister fog has spread throughout the kingdom of Azalot, covering cities, towns, and forests in a blanket of terror. This phenomenon is not common; when inhaled, it transforms human beings into deformed monsters that devour each other and any creature that crosses their path. Rin, the brave protagonist, is sent from the neighboring kingdom into the heart of this fog, driven by the need to discover the cause and find a solution, even if it may cost her her life. However, what Rin does not anticipate are the dark secrets that the kingdom of Azalot hides, secrets that are far more terrifying than she could ever imagine. Her journey becomes a fight not only for survival, but also to unravel the truth behind the fog and the horrors that lurk in the shadows within this realm.
Tags
6 tags
# ADVENTURE
# ROMANCE
# MAGIC
# MYSTERY
# DARK
# TRAGEDY
Chapter 1Prologue
Prologue 1.1
<<"Relatives" >>
Our existence spans the entire existence of humanity possibly. We come from the future, past and present, and we are summoned directly from "the root of magic" the place, or thing, where upon our death our existence is taken over and we are turned into objects of use by magicians <
—In a cabin.
I open my eyes and find myself in the same gloomy and humid cabin as always, or well, from a few days after being summoned. I get up and get dressed quickly without paying attention to my surroundings that were too depressing. A dark wooden cabin, with two beds and windows in front of them, a bathroom and a fireplace. <
—Are you leaving without saying goodbye? —I look in the direction of the voice.
It was that girl, or rather an old woman in mind and young in body, my summoner, a very nice person, although too noisy. Well, at least she is a very competent magician so that makes up for it.
—Yes, I don't like goodbyes—I answer—although it's not like there are too many people interested in my leaving the town—I crossed my arms.
—Are you sure? —the girl approaches me, opens my hand and puts something inside—. It's a gift from Belle, she's sick again so she couldn't come see you, but why did we stop her from coming, because if not—she scratches her long green hair—...Anyway, she wishes you a good trip, and so do we.
I look at the ribbon in my hand. I use it to wrap my hair into a single ponytail. A faint smile appears on my face.
"What a smile," she looked surprised. "That's unusual for you, Sherlock."
—I'm a person too, you know—I put my hands on my waist, showing a tone of disgust at the comment of the girl in front of me—. Well, I'm leaving Barbatos, God willing I'll sell within two weeks, if we have bad luck then I'll die, again, on the way, but let's hope that's not the case—I walk away with an overly polite tone.
I walk away from the entire small town, goodbye to the houses, goodbye to the people, goodbye to everything I've known since I was summoned basically. I walk through the rainbow barrier, and a thick, white mist appears in my field of vision. A mist that extends beyond this forest, or the next one, or the one after this one. A mist that transforms people into beasts and consumes this entire kingdom, the entire kingdom of Azalot.
—1 hour later.
It's been a while since I left that gloomy forest. Now I find myself in a large and spacious meadow, but with a peculiarity.
—Oh! These are the creatures of the mist—a horde of deformed creatures is in front of me, some have hooves, others claws, others extra parts on their bodies, in short, a large number of deformed beings.
Their gazes penetrated my interior, their fluorescent white eyes would leave a feeling of unease in anyone who saw them. They even gave me chills.
—Disgusting—a few simple words come out of me.
Then that horde of creatures pounces on me in unison, like a pack of out-of-control bulls or wild animals after their prey. <
—Well... they serve to warm up at least—I say, and then attack those monsters, who were previously people who were corrupted by the mist that surrounded them.
Chapter 2Chapter 1
Chapter 1
In a room where every corner was white, of a very expansive length, but completely empty, except for a bed in the middle of that beautiful room. There was a woman with a mature appearance lying down, and in front of her another woman, but with a younger appearance. The adult woman points with her finger to an armor that was on the body of a mannequin. The armor was almost entirely of an obviously pure white, of sacred metals and only with some other golden touches like on the edges of the armor, and on the shield and sword that she carried.
—My dear Rin, this armor will not only serve for your fights—a melodious and hypnotic voice came out of the lips of the mature woman—. This armor will also control that curse that runs through your entire body, like an incurable disease—the young woman who responded to the name, raised her head and looked directly at the reclining woman—. I will ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to do this mission?—the young woman only looks with determined, reddish and penetrating eyes in the direction of the person who asked her the question.
-Yeah!.
Some time later
—Forest—kingdom of Azalot.
In a forest of vast vegetation, filled with an intense mist that spread throughout the place like a plague, and that only allowed those who knew how to use magic to see, an intense fight was taking place between two very powerful opponents.
A devastating blow hits and knocks back a few meters a warrior, who hid his features behind a white armor, but who is supposed to be a woman by the bust in the chest area. He defended himself from the blow with his shield being sent by the momentum of the blow out of the forest and stopping in a meadow. The causer of the blow was still inside the forest and moved at a slow pace, which caused small damage to his walk due to his promising size. His imposing height was 5 meters, with dark gray skin, a fat but robust body, with a pronounced belly sewn from beginning to end, his deformed and disturbing facial features would give anyone who saw it a feeling of helplessness before such a being, having a huge nose, with dark eyes, without pupils, while showing a set of completely black teeth. He holds a huge weapon that was like a sword, but having a straight shape from start to finish, then being completely rectangular. The mysterious warrior She had a completely white armor with fine golden touches on the edges, with a shield in one hand and a silver sword in the other, while for the lower part of the legs the same as the typical armor, but accompanied by a thin white cloth that was located between the legs and almost reached the ground, it looked like a skirt, but it was not and accompanied by several medium-sized pockets on her waist, like a leather belt. The upper part, that is, the abdomen, breasts and arms had a feminine figure and the helmet completely covered the head only giving space to long white hair and the eye sockets. To anyone's eyes, an armor, that more than looking like war, seemed part of a sacred act towards some deity.
The huge creature attacked his opponent with fury, making a vertical cut, while the warrior defended herself with her shield. And, instead of hitting the shield, the cut, due to the warrior's position, slid along it, giving off sparks from the speed of the friction of metal and metal, and unbalancing, taking a few clumsy steps backwards because of this. The giant recovered quickly and tried to deliver another blow with greater force, which made the air collide with air with his weapon, holding the sword with both hands, but this time in the direction of a downward blow. The attack was with its greatest intensity, and again it was blocked by the shield. The impact and the shock wave were of such intensity that the mist that surrounded them spread for a few moments to their surroundings and made the creature take a few steps back, but in the short time it took to recover, so as not to fall, a clean and accurate cut He tore both of his arms from his body. The beast squealed in pain a few moments after the cut. But when he looked back to the front, a fire arrow detached his head from his body, while the body itself fell to the ground with a tremor.
The armor only walked slowly and with interest to the giant's body, while taking out a knife from one of the shoulder pads of its armor. But as it approached the creature's stomach it began to slowly unstitch and a humanoid figure with six arms and no head emerged, which seemed to have eyes in each of its arms. Around its 6 arms, about 5 spheres of different colors began to form.
—two of fire element, one of wind and two more of lightning—the armor whispered in a low voice the quantity and the elements of the magic spheres that are formed around that creature—. I didn't know that the Beasts of the Mist could have children—my mind tried to understand the act that was forming in front of me—... Or maybe before turning from human to creature she was already pregnant?...! It is still possible that the child forms in her womb... What will the answer be?—she speaks carefree while the creature shoots the 5 spheres at her.
The 5 are fired in his direction with speed, but without even a drop of effort, with the glove of his armor he repels the attacks.
—...I don't understand... Is he defending himself out of instinct or because he has the use of reason and understands that I killed his mother?—the mind of the girl behind the armor is thoughtful—. Whatever it is, I value your useless efforts and that is why I will grant you a quick and painless death like your mother—The beast prepared for another attack without understanding any of the girl's words.
She left her shield on the floor and held her silver sword with both hands. The atmosphere at that cold and gloomy moment slowly began to heat up and the grass that was under the armor began to move furiously in circles, and a gust of wind enveloped the sword in a whirlwind while the firm posture of the armor was maintained, the wind in a few moments transformed into flames of warm splendor that enveloped the sword. And as if nothing were wrong, the warrior put her sword in a straight position so that a spiral-shaped flame came out of her sword, and completely consumed the body and the creature's offspring for several seconds, illuminating the gloomy and foggy area. So that when the fire ceased, there was not a single trace of the existence of what was once a colossal creature accompanied by its offspring, and now only a dark mark of burnt grass remained.
—...—the armor seemed a little distant from what had happened—. I hope that you and your mother rest in the sacred kingdom—words that in other people seemed hypocritical, seemed sincere from the woman behind the imposing armor.
His walk continued along the foggy and disturbing forest path, possibly eager to discover what was going on here.
On some road in the Kingdom of Azalot.
POV Armor
I find myself lying on a tree, while my sight contemplates what used to be a beautiful lake, but now it is the nest of aquatic creatures, covered by the infernal mist that causes misfortune. I take a diary out of my pocket of my armor that was on my waist and then I use the transformation magic style to create a pencil.
Transformation is the style of magic used to make mana or magic copy the properties of something, such as fire or iron, but the thing itself created is not physical since it is pure mana imitating the properties of said thing.
I start writing.
The day that is today is completely unknown to me. The dense fog that surrounds this kingdom not only turns humans and animals into deformed monsters, but also prevents the rays of light from passing through. Human or animal life is totally nonexistent, but mutated animals still maintain the ecosystem, as if the mutation in their bodies has not made them lose their instincts. The difference between day and night is slight, since the sun's rays do not penetrate the dense layer of fog, but the glow that reaches is dim and weak, making the days present a controlled clarity that allows us to see, but it is not too much as I repeat, and the nights are wrapped in an air of mystery and abandonment, the darkness that it presents is deep beyond belief, that if it were not for my hand in my eyes I would not be able to see anything. The tranquility and silence here, unlike other places that seem pleasant, is disturbing and unsettling, but I think I am rambling on about details and I will go to the grain. I have not found the why? of the appearance of this mist over "the kingdom of Azalot". Nor anything to highlight in the bodies of "the beasts of the mist", that explains their metamorphosis from human to monster, except for the obvious alteration in their bodies, and especially in their magic system from the veins, to the magic circuits, which makes the mana inside them have a black color, but I already documented that before, although with less detail. Finally, I have recently noticed in the depths of the forest, a great concentration of magic in a place a few kilometers from here. Possibly there are part of the answers that I have been looking for, although I will not make false hopes again.
I get up and put my journal away. I look towards the horizon of the path marked by rocks that only allow me to see a little more than a few meters. Desolate, disturbing, but above all, the refuge of countless poor beings, snatched from their humanity, and transformed into monsters without conscience.
I begin to walk along the lifeless path while I observe the lake with interest, my heavy metallic steps echo in the empty place, adorned with vegetation. A few meters after walking I hear some footsteps coming in front of me. I quickly look ahead and draw my sword as quickly as possible. My eyes did not see what was approaching at first, but as the sound gets closer, light footsteps are heard, and a human-like silhouette begins to be seen in the mist. And what comes out of it leaves me speechless.
<> My thoughts are a mess the moment I see that image in front of me and think <
In a room where every corner was white, of a very expansive length, but completely empty, except for a bed in the middle of that beautiful room. There was a woman with a mature appearance lying down, and in front of her another woman, but with a younger appearance. The adult woman points with her finger to an armor that was on the body of a mannequin. The armor was almost entirely of an obviously pure white, of sacred metals and only with some other golden touches like on the edges of the armor, and on the shield and sword that she carried.
—My dear Rin, this armor will not only serve for your fights—a melodious and hypnotic voice came out of the lips of the mature woman—. This armor will also control that curse that runs through your entire body, like an incurable disease—the young woman who responded to the name, raised her head and looked directly at the reclining woman—. I will ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to do this mission?—the young woman only looks with determined, reddish and penetrating eyes in the direction of the person who asked her the question.
-Yeah!.
Some time later
—Forest—kingdom of Azalot.
In a forest of vast vegetation, filled with an intense mist that spread throughout the place like a plague, and that only allowed those who knew how to use magic to see, an intense fight was taking place between two very powerful opponents.
A devastating blow hits and knocks back a few meters a warrior, who hid his features behind a white armor, but who is supposed to be a woman by the bust in the chest area. He defended himself from the blow with his shield being sent by the momentum of the blow out of the forest and stopping in a meadow. The causer of the blow was still inside the forest and moved at a slow pace, which caused small damage to his walk due to his promising size. His imposing height was 5 meters, with dark gray skin, a fat but robust body, with a pronounced belly sewn from beginning to end, his deformed and disturbing facial features would give anyone who saw it a feeling of helplessness before such a being, having a huge nose, with dark eyes, without pupils, while showing a set of completely black teeth. He holds a huge weapon that was like a sword, but having a straight shape from start to finish, then being completely rectangular. The mysterious warrior She had a completely white armor with fine golden touches on the edges, with a shield in one hand and a silver sword in the other, while for the lower part of the legs the same as the typical armor, but accompanied by a thin white cloth that was located between the legs and almost reached the ground, it looked like a skirt, but it was not and accompanied by several medium-sized pockets on her waist, like a leather belt. The upper part, that is, the abdomen, breasts and arms had a feminine figure and the helmet completely covered the head only giving space to long white hair and the eye sockets. To anyone's eyes, an armor, that more than looking like war, seemed part of a sacred act towards some deity.
The huge creature attacked his opponent with fury, making a vertical cut, while the warrior defended herself with her shield. And, instead of hitting the shield, the cut, due to the warrior's position, slid along it, giving off sparks from the speed of the friction of metal and metal, and unbalancing, taking a few clumsy steps backwards because of this. The giant recovered quickly and tried to deliver another blow with greater force, which made the air collide with air with his weapon, holding the sword with both hands, but this time in the direction of a downward blow. The attack was with its greatest intensity, and again it was blocked by the shield. The impact and the shock wave were of such intensity that the mist that surrounded them spread for a few moments to their surroundings and made the creature take a few steps back, but in the short time it took to recover, so as not to fall, a clean and accurate cut He tore both of his arms from his body. The beast squealed in pain a few moments after the cut. But when he looked back to the front, a fire arrow detached his head from his body, while the body itself fell to the ground with a tremor.
The armor only walked slowly and with interest to the giant's body, while taking out a knife from one of the shoulder pads of its armor. But as it approached the creature's stomach it began to slowly unstitch and a humanoid figure with six arms and no head emerged, which seemed to have eyes in each of its arms. Around its 6 arms, about 5 spheres of different colors began to form.
—two of fire element, one of wind and two more of lightning—the armor whispered in a low voice the quantity and the elements of the magic spheres that are formed around that creature—. I didn't know that the Beasts of the Mist could have children—my mind tried to understand the act that was forming in front of me—... Or maybe before turning from human to creature she was already pregnant?...! It is still possible that the child forms in her womb... What will the answer be?—she speaks carefree while the creature shoots the 5 spheres at her.
The 5 are fired in his direction with speed, but without even a drop of effort, with the glove of his armor he repels the attacks.
—...I don't understand... Is he defending himself out of instinct or because he has the use of reason and understands that I killed his mother?—the mind of the girl behind the armor is thoughtful—. Whatever it is, I value your useless efforts and that is why I will grant you a quick and painless death like your mother—The beast prepared for another attack without understanding any of the girl's words.
She left her shield on the floor and held her silver sword with both hands. The atmosphere at that cold and gloomy moment slowly began to heat up and the grass that was under the armor began to move furiously in circles, and a gust of wind enveloped the sword in a whirlwind while the firm posture of the armor was maintained, the wind in a few moments transformed into flames of warm splendor that enveloped the sword. And as if nothing were wrong, the warrior put her sword in a straight position so that a spiral-shaped flame came out of her sword, and completely consumed the body and the creature's offspring for several seconds, illuminating the gloomy and foggy area. So that when the fire ceased, there was not a single trace of the existence of what was once a colossal creature accompanied by its offspring, and now only a dark mark of burnt grass remained.
—...—the armor seemed a little distant from what had happened—. I hope that you and your mother rest in the sacred kingdom—words that in other people seemed hypocritical, seemed sincere from the woman behind the imposing armor.
His walk continued along the foggy and disturbing forest path, possibly eager to discover what was going on here.
On some road in the Kingdom of Azalot.
POV Armor
I find myself lying on a tree, while my sight contemplates what used to be a beautiful lake, but now it is the nest of aquatic creatures, covered by the infernal mist that causes misfortune. I take a diary out of my pocket of my armor that was on my waist and then I use the transformation magic style to create a pencil.
Transformation is the style of magic used to make mana or magic copy the properties of something, such as fire or iron, but the thing itself created is not physical since it is pure mana imitating the properties of said thing.
I start writing.
The day that is today is completely unknown to me. The dense fog that surrounds this kingdom not only turns humans and animals into deformed monsters, but also prevents the rays of light from passing through. Human or animal life is totally nonexistent, but mutated animals still maintain the ecosystem, as if the mutation in their bodies has not made them lose their instincts. The difference between day and night is slight, since the sun's rays do not penetrate the dense layer of fog, but the glow that reaches is dim and weak, making the days present a controlled clarity that allows us to see, but it is not too much as I repeat, and the nights are wrapped in an air of mystery and abandonment, the darkness that it presents is deep beyond belief, that if it were not for my hand in my eyes I would not be able to see anything. The tranquility and silence here, unlike other places that seem pleasant, is disturbing and unsettling, but I think I am rambling on about details and I will go to the grain. I have not found the why? of the appearance of this mist over "the kingdom of Azalot". Nor anything to highlight in the bodies of "the beasts of the mist", that explains their metamorphosis from human to monster, except for the obvious alteration in their bodies, and especially in their magic system from the veins, to the magic circuits, which makes the mana inside them have a black color, but I already documented that before, although with less detail. Finally, I have recently noticed in the depths of the forest, a great concentration of magic in a place a few kilometers from here. Possibly there are part of the answers that I have been looking for, although I will not make false hopes again.
I get up and put my journal away. I look towards the horizon of the path marked by rocks that only allow me to see a little more than a few meters. Desolate, disturbing, but above all, the refuge of countless poor beings, snatched from their humanity, and transformed into monsters without conscience.
I begin to walk along the lifeless path while I observe the lake with interest, my heavy metallic steps echo in the empty place, adorned with vegetation. A few meters after walking I hear some footsteps coming in front of me. I quickly look ahead and draw my sword as quickly as possible. My eyes did not see what was approaching at first, but as the sound gets closer, light footsteps are heard, and a human-like silhouette begins to be seen in the mist. And what comes out of it leaves me speechless.
<> My thoughts are a mess the moment I see that image in front of me and think <
Chapter 3Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Narrator POV
The two girls were face to face. The woman inside the armor lowered her weapon for a moment, out of the feeling of finding someone alive after so long, but her rational thinking made her raise it again based on the logic that in this realm "there are no longer sane beings, much less those that retain their human features," or at least not that she knows of.
The girl in front of her wore clothes that were completely unfamiliar to her. An unbuttoned, brown, masculine jacket, an elegant head-to-toe suit with a dark-colored tie, several rings on one finger, and black shoes as well, something that didn't make sense to the woman in armor at first glance, so she assumed she was from a neighboring country. Her skin was white, and she had emerald-colored eyes that were <
—Hey, you're from the neighboring kingdom, Grintol... right? —Rin was surprised to hear this statement and her surprise was evident to the woman in front of her, who smiled at her—. Your armor gives you away—Rin didn't understand how her armor could reveal her origin, armor like this could be made for some general too, although there was also the fact that no one survived the mist disease, but she should keep in mind that not even the greatest magicians could pass through that mist without converting.
—Are you an enemy or a friend? Or are you with the one who created this mist? —Still on the defensive, Rin begins to ask questions in a threatening tone.
—The second question is easy to answer, no, although the first one depends on what you answer me about it—his serious and appreciative tone of voice made it have a certain threatening touch.
—My answer is friend then... Of course that is if you are not lying to me, right?
—I am not an enemy of anyone who is trying to find an answer to the mist—she smiles with a certain irony in her voice.
From one moment to the next the tension was broken and Rin said
—.! It fills me with peace knowing that I'm not the only sane one in this place—her tone seemed more relieved and the sigh she let out was a sign of that.
The other girl, for her part, confidently walked towards the armor with sure and continuous steps until she was in front of it.
"My name is Sherlock Holmes," he extended his hand, which was received with a handshake, and then he moved away again a little.
—My name is Rin. And one question first: How did you know I was sent from the neighboring kingdom? —asks a curious Rin.
—For your Armor—he points his finger at Rin.
—My Armor?—she looks at herself.
—In your home kingdom there is a high religious belief that is related to the color white, attracting good luck and protection from the gods, according to the books. In addition, also from what I have read, you are one of the few who have an incredible attention to detail in your armor and most important weapons, supposedly to demonstrate your commitment— she was very sure of her words, and in Rin's eyes, all of Sherlock's statements were correct, although he still does not understand her origin because of her strange clothing—. I'm right, right? — A cold and indifferent tone came out of her, and on Rin's part, she just nodded still confused.
—I'm looking for the origin of the concentration of magic, which is located in the depths of the forest—Rin points in the said direction, Sherlock just looks and says.
—I am also looking for the origin or rather, the catalyst to destroy it so we are going in the same objective.
The word magic catalyst was not entirely unknown to Rin. A catalyst is a magical artifact that serves to enhance spells, or at its most basic, since it has many more uses, but the first one is the most common to see.
—So... Would you mind if I accompanied you on your trip? —Rin was surprised and happy at the same time to hear this question—. Don't be confused... I have little to no interest in working with someone else, but I think it's more convenient for both parties, since we have the same goal in mind—Rin was a little disappointed to hear that statement, but in a way the girl was right. They both had the same goal and were going to the same place, it wasn't a bad idea to make an alliance at this moment.
—It's fine with me, I think having more company besides my diary will be nice.
"Fine," the girl only uttered short, sharp words.
So both of them joined together in the direction of a destination that was undecided, but at least now both of them had company in that immense whiteness that surrounded the entire "kingdom of Azalot."
Several hours later—Depths of the forest.
The trees were eerie, the mist was mystical, the silence was penetrating and discouraging. Several hours had already passed since their journey together began. And both girls were walking towards the mana concert, which was getting closer and closer, but even so, time for Rin was desperate. As I repeat, several hours had passed since they had begun their journey together, but not a single conversation in all this time, which was incomprehensible to Rin. She was always a person who liked solitude, it is true, but even for her several weeks without any kind of contact with another sane being was uncomfortable, and now that she had one by her side, it remained completely silent, it was like traveling alone as who could say. And as if the environment did not help, the thick forest was really uncomfortable to explore. Not only because of the danger that a creature would attack you by surprise, but also, the unbearable silent sound of nothingness that penetrated the sanity of any person. Not to mention that Rin was full of questions about the girl who called herself Sherlock Holmes. <> Rin thought, although she didn't really know if in her culture that name could be considered masculine.
—Hey...—Sherlock looked at Rin, his expression not seeming to contain any emotion—...
—...—(Awkward silence)
—You... aren't from around here... right? —Rin spoke with a little hesitation.
—No..., in reality I couldn't even be considered alive—Rin felt a chill run through her skin upon hearing the girl's words, who, although she thought she was joking, her expression when she said that didn't let her think like that, besides she didn't seem like the type of person who liked jokes.
—No! —he swallows—. You're not alive, are you like a ghost then?
—I am actually what sorcery calls a familiar or summoning—The same tone of voice left Rin even more confused, due to the calmness and normality with which he said it.
—What! But aren't familiars or summons supposed to be magical beings? I've never heard of summoning people's spirits? In fact, I would attribute your summons to the style of necromancy/magic that revives the dead, but I've never met anyone who can revive the dead with consciousness and memories of when they were alive! —Rin's surprise is not hidden for a moment and with good reason, necromancy was the most logical thing to do, but Sherlock immediately shakes his head.
—Necromancy only works with corpses and as such does not bring them to life, at least not at the level that this ambiguous era has, but they are manipulated with magic and have neither memories nor consciousness, although I heard in life of a necromancy magician who could bring the consciousness of beings with little reasoning and who will act by instinct, like animals..., if I do not remember more it was when I studied the case of a heroine called Joan of Arc, who was not from my time, but I had knowledge of her through a Noel ark, but that is indifferent now. I am summoned directly from where the flow of the mana of the world comes from, that is, "the transparent world". I am a person who at some point died and instead of going to heaven, hell or purgatory my existence was appropriated by the flow of magic, and taken to what they call the root of magic—Rin did not seem to understand very well, but she understood the concept of the flow of magic, and that is what surrounds the whole world and one of the factors that connect different worlds to places outside this plane, places like heaven where the celestials come from or hell where demons emerge were connected to earth, and vice versa.
—I think I understand, but I don't understand when you died, because your clothes are unknown to me from some ancient culture—I point to her clothes.
—That has nothing to do with it—Sherlock stated indifferently—. As such, the flow of magic is not connected to anything like time, so it is possible that I come from a distant future or perhaps from a prehistoric past where my world died and reemerged in yours—Rin seemed interested in the subject of the conversation, but she could not debate the topic since she had to address other matters.
—And who was your summoner? Are there any other wizards alive? Are there others like you? Do they know how to stop this? What is their guard? Are there ways to stay alive inside the mist? What brought you here? —she stood above Sherlock with a tone almost deranged with curiosity, or rather with the desire to understand what surrounds her.
—! Calm down! —a strong tone of voice made Rin step back and realize what she was doing.
Silence began to form between them.
—...Sorry—her voice was very weak, you couldn't see her face because of the armor, but you could tell from her tone of voice that she was sorry.
Sherlock noticed this and interrupted his walk and said.
—No, forgive me, I shouldn't have spoken to you in that tone—. Rin looked in surprise at her companion who for the first time showed some emotion, possibly Sherlock understood that she had been alone for a long time—. My summoner is not exactly... a human, so to speak.
"Exactly?" His tone of spirits was already noticeable.
—I don't know how to explain it to you properly, so I'll answer your other questions—He said while looking without any particular expression at the imposing figure of Rin's armor—. My summoner created a magic zone spell to protect the villagers he rescued from being deformed monsters forever—Rin showed genuine shock upon hearing that.
—!Rescue! You mean what turned them into people? —Sherlock nodded, and Rin just stood there, stunned, or maybe in something more. —!That's incredible! —He was speechless, and a light bulb of hope opened in his mind.
"Rin, are you okay?" The girl's words made the big armor come out of its trance, Sherlock was more than worried, she was just curious about what was happening to him.
—Of course, I was just thinking about something, please continue—a little doubtful of her words, the girl continued speaking.
—As I was saying. He rescued them and turned them into normal people again, I'll spare you the details for now, but right now they're in a town, under a barrier spell that prohibits the contamination that the mist produces in the air and mana. About your other question, at least in our group there's only me as a summon, but as allies we have two more normal people, although I don't know if those who created this mist have summoned more like me, but it's very likely if you ask me. And finally our guard is located a few days from here, my summoner has to stay in a certain area and distance from the barrier so that it doesn't disappear, so he can't go too far. And unfortunately my summoner hasn't given me too many details of how he plans to stop this, but he did tell me that the origin of such a concentration of magic is produced by a magic catalyst that maintains the stability of the mist in a certain way and that it must be destroyed, although I wouldn't know how many there really are, but from what I understand "There are few." Rin listened with interest all this time to everything Sherlock said, and found it of great interest to her, but a little short of answers for her mind still, but she didn't want to bother her too much for the moment. "Now a question for you, since I answered yours. Why are you here and who sent you? Do you know the story of how this started and do you have any other information? How do you plan to understand this on the outside? Are there other people besides you?" A flurry of questions went in Rin's direction, who remains thoughtful before each one.
—I was sent by the neighboring kingdom of Azalot, in search of the origin of this mist, they gave me this armor with a sword and a shield of high caliber magical materials and minerals, but that is not important now. The story is simple and I think it is the one that everyone knows. One day in the kingdom a weak mist began to be noticed that each day became more powerful and as time passed, the villagers began to get sick and then mutate into creatures, the same thing happened with the animals, and without counting that the kingdom was not going through its best economic moment because of the king there was not much investigation about it until it was too late. Some say it was 3 days, others 7, but the most reliable version is that of a survivor who said that everything developed in 5 days. Afterwards the neighboring kingdoms ignorant of what was happening sent their troops into the mist to investigate, so that they would never return, that is why there are times that you can come across creatures with weapons or other things. extravagant. My kingdom then tried to investigate ways to enter the mist, imbuing their body with mana did not work because little by little it was despising and at some point they had to rest. Masks did not work since the infection not only entered through breathing, they also entered through the Magic veins of the user when absorbing magic, and then corrupted the magic core that is located in the heart, so that this in turn when passing mana through the body corrupted the circuits and thus started the infection. So as such the only thing to do is not use magic, but in a territory as hostile as this it was not very reliable, except that later that theory was disproved since in any case the process of mutating is carried out, but slower than before. And finally apart from me, there are no more people ... for the moment I will spare the details of how I stay without mutating ..., it is Something personal - Sherlock looked at her with indifference, but with some satisfaction for the information obtained.
—For my part, I am satisfied with the information exchanged... well, if you have no more questions, let us continue our journey.
Silence reigned again in the place as the minutes passed and the forest seemed not to change at all, if it weren't for the fact that they were following a trail of magic, it would seem that they were really in the same place walking in circles.
—Hey, does this silence really bother you? —Rin asks.
—No, actually I'm used to being and working alone, I find it more productive—She didn't seem to be the most sociable and open person, although she was clear and direct, that was good in a way.
—Is there anything you like? For example, music or art.
—The violin... I find it relaxing, although it's been a long time since I played or listened to it—<
—The violin is a great instrument in the hands of a master, but its sound in inexperienced hands is a bit...
—Yes, it's true, in inexperienced hands I could become unpleasant...—From one moment to the next, the foggy, wooded image in the blink of an eye from Sherlock was changed to a giant, lifeless desert landscape and Rin was no longer in sight of the confused girl. —Rin, Rin, you're over there! —She shouted loudly, although despite the fact that her shout echoed throughout the giant space, she didn't get an immediate response.
—Yes, I'm here! —A shout approached Sherlock, and the familiar white armor illuminated by the imposing desert sun appeared—.! Sherlock, this is a...!
—A magic zone—he says looking at Rin.
—More like a domino, look—Rin ran from side to side at high speed and got back in front of Sherlock.
—I see, it's true, magic zones are those that modify the environment, but they have a limited area and when you leave that area it dissolves and you return to the same place, like a solid illusion—said Sherlock.
—Instead, a domino creates a separate zone, like a pocket dimension with its own length and its own rules that ignore those of the outside and create a totally separate ecosystem, basically it is possible to create an icy zone in the middle of a volcano or in this case a domino that recreates a desert with all its sun—Rin's explanation was accurate for Sherlock, and it seems that he was only testing his comrade's worth and knowledge—
.The magic concert is now stronger and I came in the direction of the sun, let's continue walking, we will probably not have the creatures of the mist now—she sounded very sure of her words.
—Are you sure? —Sherlock questions.
—The creatures of the mist need it to survive. They are like water for fish if you look at it that way, they can survive outside for a while, but not for long—he raises his metallic finger.
30 minutes later—in the middle of the desert.
The domain seemed to not only mimic the properties of the sun and sand, as several beautiful rock formations passed by them as they walked. Seherlcok looked at them with interest, but Rin was in such a hurry that she didn't seem to notice, and Sherlock didn't seem to care much about what a person he met today was doing either.
15 minutes later
Both fields of vision enter what seemed to be a small town that had a total of 16 houses in a straight line, divided into a row of 8 at each corner. And in front of everything a large house of considerable size. Both walk, and Rin seems a little calmer, since she naturally follows the pace of Sherlock, who for some reason carefully observes the houses and how some are in a destroyed or deteriorated state.
—Do you think they are prefabricated structures by the domain, or perhaps they were someone's houses?
-I don't think so.
—And that's because you think that.
They are too deteriorated and ruined for just a few weeks—he continues observing—. Look, the formations seem more like they were caused by blows and brutal destruction than by the passage of time. Which means that something caused this.
—Maybe someone else... A person? —Rin raises her eyebrows in disbelief.
—I hope so...—he falls silent again.
They continue walking towards the big house. From the outside it looks deteriorated by the passage of time with broken glass and wood that creaked in the hot and rough desert wind, which doesn't make much sense since the fog hasn't lasted even half a year, so the girls assume that it's a structure that was already built next to the dominoes, or maybe it was an old construction of a town. They enter the big house. It had a large entrance hall with a door at the back of the room, possibly going to the basement, and on each side vertical stairs that allow you to go up to the second floor, and the room is very furnished, but covered in cobwebs. The house was very gloomy, from its wood ruined by the supposed passage of time, to the cobwebs that were noticeable on the wall. But among all this sea of antiques, Sherlock looked with interest at what seemed to be a painting of a family of 3 people, which was the only thing that remains pleasant to look at.
"A nice view, for such a creepy place," Sherlock says, then crosses his arms.
Rin noticed this, and looked at him with interest as well.
—It's clear that whoever did it not only had talent, but also a passion for drawing... I don't think that much attention to detail is for someone who only does it for money—Rin stated.
—Art student?—Sherlock asks.
—Yes, it was one of my extra classes when I was a child, it was very nice.
—... I... I couldn't tell you, I've never had anything that I really liked, my old job when I was alive wasn't done for the good or bad of others, I simply did it out of boredom—Sherlock looks at Rin, and I notice how a strange feeling of nostalgia came out of his eyes in that image as if he were remembering something. And he wouldn't have heard his partner's first comment of genuine communication.
—Does it remind you of your family, do you miss them?—She didn't know why that question had come out of her mouth, and she quickly regretted saying it.
—Yes, a little, but after years one gets over it—Sherlock didn't understand at first what she meant—. You see, I'm an orphan, my whole family died in an accident and I was the only one left alive, apart from my brother, but he's not blood related.
Rin's gaze moves from the painting to Sherlock.
Tock tock tock—A sound came from the door leading to the basement. It was like the scraping of something slimy hitting the door countless times.
Pun! —The sound of the door opening aggressively makes both girls look in that direction. What came out of the door was a shapeless mass of red flesh. From this, an unpleasant spectacle began to appear for the girls. The mass began to form tentacles and three heads formed in front of them that came out of the formation of flesh.
—A creature! —Rin said. —But, there's not supposed to be fog here.
Sherlock, without hesitation, took out his revolver and fired three bullets imbued in fire that exploded next to the mass that did not receive any damage, and the explosion formed a wall of smoke. Then immediately from the smoke a tentacle came out at dizzying speed from where a spike protruded that seemed to have a red liquid at its tip. It did not reach Sherlock, as it was cut by Rin's sword, which made the monster produce an unpleasant sound of pain from one of its three heads, more specifically the small one that looked like a child's, then with his style of magic 'transformation', Sherlock forms a sword and rises above the creature with determination to finish it, but when she realized it, she formed a wall of flesh as a shield that collided with the tip of Sherlock's sword, which could not completely penetrate her wall. Then the girl in question took out her revolver and put the tip of the weapon against the wall of flesh and fired, which seemed to be a different spell than before, since the wall of flesh It broke down and the creature was only seen writhing in pain, as if the damage had come from being connected to that wall of flesh, although Sherlock does not explain what kind of spell he used. Then the young woman closest to the mass used her sword and made a clean cut on the three heads, which fell lifeless and the mass of flesh stopped moving. Returning to peace again.
—We're done with this—Sherlock looks in Rin's direction, and only sees the large, motionless armor—...Are you okay?
—Sherlock, those three heads looked like the people in the painting... could it be that...?
—The less we wonder, the less guilty we'll be! —Sherlock interrupts.
For her part, the girl in armor could only look at the lump of flesh and think. <
"We should check the house," the other girl says indifferently, but with a quick glance at the piece of ID with some sadness.
They were checking the entire large place from place to place. Of the rooms, only one had a bed that was functional, the rest were either very old or gave off an almost unbearable putrid smell. The rest was nothing worth mentioning.
Dusk—In the mansion room.
It was a simple but nice room, by the standards of that house obviously, it had a bed that the girls had cleaned and a window that let in the moonlight. Sherlock was now without his clothes and now the only thing he had on was a black t-shirt and white panties/panties underneath, which didn't leave much to the imagination. While Rin was still in her armor, increasing Sherlock's curiosity to see what kind of girl was under such an imposing figure. Little by little she began to take off her armor, and underneath it she had a leather suit, so she wasn't naked, but then she also took off her suit, leaving her only in a black blouse and panties of the same color. What he saw left Sherlock with an impression. Her face was delicate and fine, with a certain air of elegance, her skin was brown, but not so dark brown, which matched her long white hair, her reddish and provocative eyes were inconsistent with her figure. her lips thin and delicate, and yet on her they seemed as natural and consistent as her skin and hair color. Her figure was attractive, with fleshy thighs, medium-sized breasts and an apparently trained torso, but without losing that femininity that characterized a woman of her stature. Oh, and as an extra she had a tattoo that ran along her arm in the shape of a tribal. Without a doubt, for Sherlock she was a woman of incredible beauty. Rin, noticing Sherlock's gaze, covered her most exposed parts and said.
—Oh, Sherlock, please, we've only known each other for a day. At least pretend not to notice—he said in a mischievous tone.
—It's not that, I just didn't imagine that there was such a tall and beautiful woman behind that armor —This comment made Rin blush.
—No... don't say such things lightly, you embarrass me! —Sherlock was confused, he didn't know what to answer.
They both lay down in the same bed, the environment was hot and uncomfortable so it would be a little difficult to sleep.
—Hey Sherlock.
-Yeah.
—I know we haven't met for long, but I'm glad to have someone to talk to.
—Me too... yeah, I guess—he stopped mid-conversation.
—That means we're friends! —She exclaimed happily, getting closer to Sherlock.
—Comrades Rin, companions for the moment. We will see in the future how we continue.
—Future... Well, I don't remember the past well, so for my own good—She looks to the side and sees Sherlock, already asleep.
He takes out his journal from his armor and creates a pencil and starts writing.
Page???
Several of today's questions have been answered by Sherlock, and new questions have been running through my mind. Who will Sherlock's summoner be? How many of these magic zones will there be? Will there be any dangerous enemies nearby? What are the catalysts that Sherlock mentioned like? On the other hand, Sherlock is a talented girl in battle from what I see, and seems to have some skill in observation and deduction. I wouldn't know what else to say about her since she's not a girl of many words, and only speaks when necessary.
The girl continues writing until she stops at one point in the night and goes to sleep.