After the chaos subsided, only doubt remained in everyone's minds. They now sat around the circular table in complete silence, none knowing who should be the one to break the ice. It seemed their host, who had initially initiated the discussion, had gone to brew tea for his guests, leaving them to do nothing but stare intensely at one another. Seeing that this endless staring contest would lead nowhere, Io spoke up.
"If no one's going to start, then I'll just ask: Who are you people, and what brings you here?" As the black pantheress broke the ice, everyone adjusted their posture, sitting up straighter.
"First, I must ask—are you on the side of the White Kingdom?" Lima questioned Io, his voice laced with caution. For the sake of their safety, he needed to ensure they weren't dealing with an adversary.
Io merely shook her head at Lima's suspicion. "Don't worry. I was born and raised here in Blatt Himmel. As for those filthy, religious fanatics? I've wanted nothing to do with them from the very start. Don't you dare lump me in with them."
When Lima turned to look at Betax, the cheetah gave a slight nod, signaling that this woman could be trusted with their story.
"Alright, then I'll tell you what you need to know for now," Lima began. "We are a party of travelers journeying together to defeat the Demon Lord and protect the World Tree. I am Lima, a swordsman. And this guy next to me is Betax—just a petty thief."
He gestured toward Betax, who immediately protested the mocking introduction, drawing a few soft chuckles around the table. Lima then motioned toward Puluna. "And this is Puluna... the druid. That's all you need to know about him." After keeping Puluna's introduction brief, Lima shifted his gaze to the wolf musician.
"Ah, I guess it's my turn," Tandol stammered. "Uh, how should I put this... I'm not actually the person that statue was built for."
Just as Tandol began his explanation, Epsilon arrived, serving everyone floral-scented tea before gesturing for the wolf to continue. Tandol rubbed his hands against the warm teacup, about to speak, but Epsilon cut in with a question.
"Oh? If you aren't him, then how do you explain the uncanny resemblance? A wolf beastkin with a distinct yellow stripe cutting from his forehead straight down to his nose. It's an exact match, wouldn't you all say?" Epsilon looked around the room, seeking agreement. As the others scrutinized Tandol's face, they realized he truly looked identical to the statue standing in the village square.
"The truth is, my real name is Thorndel," the wolf confessed. "And that statue belongs to my grandfather. He was one of the heroes who journeyed to defeat the Demon Lord named Alfaros."
Hearing that name, Lima interrupted instantly, not giving the young wolf a chance to finish. "Wait, Alpharos? If I remember correctly, that Hobgoblin we fought mentioned the name Alpharos as well."
Thorndel nodded, understanding that Lima had also crossed paths with minions who uttered their master's name.
"Yes. According to my grandfather, there are two Demon Lords ruling the city of Chern Zamoroz: Alpharos, a demon with the form of an avian-humanoid, and Phinox, the Supreme Demon Lord who takes the form of a fiendish goat. There were four heroes who went to vanquish them: Roline Dency, the Knight of Lightning; Chiron Lycoris, the Grand Mage of the Royal Court; Hoshino Haguruma, the Star Druid from the East; and Tandol, the Bard of the Crow's Song. Tandol was my grandfather's name, and I simply adopted it as my own." The young wolf recounted the tales of the four adventurers, names that struck a chord with those at the table.
"Roline, Chiron, Hoshino, and Tandol, huh? They all sound familiar," Lima muttered, tracing the names of the four heroes. "Though this Hoshino person is the only one we haven't crossed paths with yet."
While Lima pondered, Puluna remained silent. The young cougar knew exactly who Hoshino was, but with too many ears in the room, it was not the right time to speak of it. Puluna chose to hold his tongue and let Thorndel continue.
"The four of them fought the two Demon Lords, but the enemy was simply too powerful to overcome," Thorndel said, his voice dropping. "Grandpa told me that Hoshino sacrificed himself to grant Roline his ultimate power, while using the last of his strength to push Chiron and Tandol out of the battlefield. They were scattered in different directions, never learning of Roline's final fate. Eventually, my grandfather arrived here and earned his title as the Bard of the Crow's Song. However... he later discovered that Roline had also come to this land, but not as a savior. He came at the head of Chern Zamoroz's legions. Their vanguard invaded this very town, and they... they struck down my grandfather with ease."
The young wolf clenched his fist, slamming it against the table in bitter anguish. His grandfather had sacrificed so much, only to be betrayed in the end by his dearest friend.
"But I've heard rumors," Thorndel continued, tight-lipped. "A legendary melody capable of bringing harmony to all people—the Song of Peace—is hidden somewhere here. The Demon Lord's forces are searching for it too."
Epsilon raised a hand, politely pausing Thorndel's narrative. "Regarding that matter... running a tavern upstairs keeps my ears to the ground. I've heard the demons have hoistered themselves up in the cathedral to the west of town. They answer to a demon who calls himself Dua. He's been terrorizing the townsfolk, ordering them to capture musicians and bring them to the cathedral to break the seal on the Stone Tablet of Peace, where the melody is inscribed. So far, no one has been able to unseal it."
Hearing Epsilon's crucial intel, Thorndel rubbed his chin thoughtfully before looking around at the group.
"Then that tablet must undoubtedly hold the sealed Song of Peace. This means we need a plan to retrieve it at all costs." The wolf pulled a bundle of parchment from his bag and unrolled it across the table, revealing the words written within.
"Four bards shall play as the full moon gleams, The invading foe shall fade like dreams. The shattered seal shall fall away, Bringing peace to the World Tree's sway."
"This is the verse my grandfather left behind for me," Thorndel explained. "It's a riddle of sorts. But judging from what the tavern owner just said, we need four musicians playing together to break the tablet's seal."
"'As the full moon gleams' means it has to be performed at night, specifically during a full moon," Puluna chimed in, analyzing the cryptic poem. "And we need four people playing in unison to break it."
"But where on earth are we going to find four musicians?" Betax asked, gesturing toward Thorndel, who was currently scratching his head in bewilderment. "We only have one right here."
"Then you're in luck. I can play the flute passably well," Io announced, raising her hand before pulling out a flute to show them. Now, they only needed two more.
"I recall there's an old organ inside the cathedral that's still playable," Epsilon offered another vital piece of information.
Instantly, Thorndel, Lima, and Betax turned their gaze toward Puluna. The young cougar nodded, meeting their expectations with a nervous smile.
"I can handle that part," Puluna agreed. "But even so, that only makes three of us. If there's anyone else here who can play..." He looked toward Epsilon and Betax, but both shook their heads immediately—neither of them were capable of playing music.
Finally, Puluna turned his eyes toward Lima.
"Hey, don't look at me! I'm a swordsman, how am I supposed to play music?" Lima barked, visibly displeased. Puluna was clearly singling him out on purpose. Even though Lima wore the garb of a warrior, the young cougar was likely projecting the image of his older brother from the other world, who was a skilled musician.
"But if it isn't you, big brother, there's no one else who can do it," Puluna said softly, his eyes downcast with uncertainty. "And I believe this Melody of Peace will greatly aid our journey. If it can unite everyone to fight against the Demon Lord, it will surely change the outcome of our mission."
Faced with his younger brother's persistent pleading, Lima let out a heavy, defeated sigh. Realizing there was no avoiding this, he gave a reluctant nod. "Fine. But I don't know how to play the guitar like you do, Thorndel."
"Don't worry about that at all, Master Lima!" the wolf bard beamed, reaching into his satchel and pulling out a small hand drum. "I'll have you handle the rhythm section—Percussion! You'll still need to learn the beats, but a swordsman of your caliber must already have an impeccable sense of timing and striking rhythm. Oh, this is going to turn out splendidly!"
Lima scratched his head in sheer confusion, wondering how on earth swordsmanship and drumming were supposed to correlate.
"In that case, let me head out and scout ahead," Betax suggested, standing up since there was nothing left for him to do at the table. "At the very least, I can recon the area around the cathedral and see what the village looks like right now."
"I'll go with you," Io volunteered.
With their scouting plan set, the two felines headed up the stairs to scout the exterior.
Stepping out from the front of Epsilon's tavern, they were greeted by the oppressive heat of the late afternoon. The village was in a state of unrest, with panicked locals searching frantically for any musicians.
"Getting around is going to be a pain," Betax muttered, pulling his light brown cloak over his head to shield his face from prying eyes. Beside him, Io pulled up the hood attached to her leather armor.
They navigated through the less crowded alleys. Along the way, they overheard hushed conversations whispering that if a musician wasn't delivered to the demons today, the fiends would launch an all-out assault on the village.
As the two felines continued their trek, they eventually reached the western edge of the village, where a small cathedral stood. At its front was a statue of a goddess holding a lyre—a patron of arts and music, though Betax didn't recognize her.
"The people here worship different gods than those in Aloxa..." Betax remarked idly. "What's her name?"
Io, overhearing his musing, answered smoothly, "If Aloxa worships Nebo, the God of the Sky, then here in Vtáčí, they revere Rytmus, the God of Art and Music, whom bards devoutly follow. This cathedral is undoubtedly their place of worship."
Betax nodded at her detailed explanation, though a look of surprise crossed his face. "Say, how do you know so much about these gods anyway? Aren't you just a hunter?"
The black pantheress turned to him, a slight sneer on her lips. "I enjoy hunting in the woods, yes, but isn't this just basic, everyday knowledge? I'm not like a thief who only uses their brain to figure out what to steal next."
Betax's temper flared at the insult, but he bit his tongue. Exploding now would only trigger an argument, which would ruin their stakeout entirely.
Concealed within the brush of the forest flanking the cathedral, the two felines peered at the building. They spotted guards—purple-skinned fiendish humanoids—patrolling the perimeter, watching vigilantly for any intruders. Betax pointed toward a tree whose branches reached near a rear window, providing a blind spot to slip inside unnoticed. Exchanging a silent nod, they moved toward the tree. With practiced agility, they swung themselves through the open window, landing inside without making a sound.
The cathedral's interior was shrouded in pitch blackness, save for the faint light filtering from the entrance they had bypassed. Though their feline eyes allowed them to see in the dark, the environment appeared only in shades of monochrome gray.
"It seems completely deserted," Io whispered, scanning the vacant pews. Suddenly, a faint blue luminescence caught her eye at the center of the nave.
She led the way toward it, revealing a colossal monument engraved with musical notation. "This is it... the Stone Tablet of the Melody of Peace." She stared up at the massive, glowing blue structure, wondering how such a magnificent object had been moved here in the first place.
"So this is what they're after," Betax murmured, equally awed.
But in that split second, the cheetah's sharp senses tingled. A sudden, malevolent presence was closing in fast.
"Io! Above you!" Betax roared.
Seeing thick, barbed tentacles plunging down toward her, Betax threw himself forward with explosive speed. He shoved the pantheress out of harm's way, sending her skidding against the base of the stone tablet. However, the redirection left him exposed. A heavy, lashing tendril struck Betax squarely across his back. The force tore through his clothes, leaving three deep, bloody gashes across his spotted fur.
"Incredible. To think someone actually perceived my strike. You meddling cats truly have remarkable eyes," a grotesque creature sneered, stepping out from the shadows.
The entity looked otherworldly, its upper appendages consisting of a mass of writhing tentacles, though it walked on a pair of normal legs. Its face resembled a twisted octopus adorned with two menacing horns. Enduring the searing pain, the cheetah drew his dual daggers, falling into a combat stance. Beside him, Io readied her bow, locking her eyes onto the aberration.
"Look at you, all geared up and ready to fight. It breaks my heart, it truly does, that I, Dua, must put an end to you both," the creature cackled, its voice dripping with aristocratic arrogance. With a whip of its limbs, Dua sent its tentacles lashing forward. Betax, relying on his swift reflexes, deflected the incoming strikes with his daggers while dodging frantically, though a few grazing blows left fresh cuts on his arms and legs.
Io fared worse; wielding a ranged weapon required immense focus to aim while evading, leaving her unable to find a clear shot. A stray tentacle whipped her forearm, forcing her to drop her arrow to the floor.
"I heard felines were supposed to be swift and agile, but you are nothing compared to the speed of Lord Dua, a high-ranking demon!" the monster mocked. It redirected its main assault toward Io, recognizing the annoyance of a ranged attacker.
In the nick of time, Betax sprinted across the gap, parrying the lethal strike with his twin blades. "This guy is too strong. Io, run!"
Betax turned to her, his expression grim and resolute. Gritting his teeth, his unwavering stance made it clear he had made his choice, anchoring himself to shield the pantheress behind him.
"What about you?!" she demanded, her face tight with worry. How could he possibly take this monstrosity on alone?
"Just go! I'm the one who should be fighting here. You're a vital part of the plan—we can't let it end for you here. I'll hold him off!"
Io froze for a fraction of a second, staring at the back of the cheetah who was risking his life to protect her. Though she loathed the decision, she knew she had to retreat. If she fell here, the entire mission would fail, and their goals would be rendered impossible.
"Damn it!" she cursed under her breath. Quickly, she tossed a glass vial filled with a crimson liquid toward him. Betax caught it deftly, downing the healing potion in a single gulp while continuously weaving through the monster's onslaught. With a final look, Io turned and sprinted out of the cathedral.
"My, my. I didn't expect anyone to play the tragic hero today. But did you honestly believe you could best me?" The demon halted its attacks briefly, mocking the lone cheetah.
"Hmph. I've taken down demons like you before, pal. Some freak named... Fiedovile, was it?" the cheetah boasted, raising his daggers to reset his stance.
"Hah! Comparing me to a low-born cur like Fiedovile? How utterly dim-witted," Dua spat, its voice dripping with disdain. "I expected some modicum of intellect from a feline, but a fool remains a fool. Allow me to grant you a piece of knowledge to carry to your grave."
The eyes nestled near its maw locked onto the cheetah. Dua didn't seem to care whether its opponent attacked or not—a gesture of supreme arrogance in combat. Nevertheless, Betax listened intensely, letting the demon speak.
"You cannot compare a pathetic Lesser Demon to a Greater Demon. Hearing that it paid a visit to the Grand Mage's estate frankly moved me to tears of laughter." The octopus-headed demon laughed maniacally at the stupidity of its lesser kin. Hearing this, Betax realized the demon he had previously fought wasn't even considered powerful by their standards.
"But I, Dua, am the leader of the Greater Demons. We are worlds apart. You will die in this very hall. Or... perhaps, you might still prove useful to me."
Betax could easily guess what would happen if he lost—he would be used as a hostage to blackmail his companions. Refusing to yield, a sharp smirk stretched across his face. As the demon prattled on, boasting of its superiority, a faint, crackling smoke began to rise from the cheetah's feet.
"You kept blabbing long enough for my engine to finally start," Betax muttered. Realizing the feline was preparing something, Dua wasted no more time and launched its tentacles straight at him.
"Let the sparks ignite, and grant me ultimate speed! In my name, Betax—Vrch Spěch!"
With a deafening crackle, Betax vanished into a blur of blinding speed, dodging every single incoming tentacle amidst a shower of sparks. In a flash of steel, his daggers sliced through six... no, eight of the demon's appendages, causing Dua to recoil in brief shock at the cheetah's staggering velocity.
"I might not be as fast as him, but right now, I'm faster than you! Your tedious attacks won't ever touch me!"
Closing the distance in the blink of an eye, Betax lunged at Dua, driving his daggers toward the demon's seemingly unprotected abdomen.
"I win!" he proclaimed.
But the blade never pierced the demon's flesh. Instead, a massive, concealed tentacle erupted from Dua's stomach, skewering Betax straight through the midsection. The cheetah gasped, coughing up crimson blood as the thick appendage impaled him. The tentacle retracted slightly, hoisting Betax into the air by his hair, forcing him to look into the demon's mocking eyes.
"Did you truly think I would be undone so easily, little cat? But do not fret... you've entertained me enough that I shall spare your life for now."
Dua reached out, gently closing Betax's eyelids as the cheetah's consciousness faded into a dark abyss. Taking his captive with him, the demon vanished into the encroaching shadows.