With Iblis no longer a threat to the mortal realm, Tiryns was able to return to Otherworld, rejoined with his love Ares for eternity. But.. There was still the fact that Tiryns was unable to revive Neci, and once again the group was left at a dead end. Had Ebon sent them on a wild goose chase? Or were his motives pure, but his reasoning faulted? There was not time to dwell.

 

Though Iblis' attack was powerful and savage, he did not exterminate every civillian at Callahan. Those who survived regrouped at the aftermath and in their grief they found release, pinning the blame on what htey could gather from their glimpses of the battlefield..:

 

'The demon is gone, who knows where he is now?' Cried a man, raising his remaining arm high into the air. His voice was strained in despair, and persperation dotted his forehead.

 

'But there WERE others, wern't there? I saw them!' A woman yelled, standing up also, cradeling a baby on her hip. The cirlce of dishevelled villagers nodded readily in agreement, and another woman looked around nervously before speaking out.

 

'Yes, I saw them too! One was that blonde boy from the Training school on the other side of the forest. He came to my shop for lengths of leather. A strange boy, something inhuman about his eyes..' She looked around, hoping for a general understanding. Some murmured to themselves, but others  gave shouts of agreement, rallying thsmelves as if a witch hunt was abotu to break out.

 

'And that pale young man that passed through here without a word. I saw him with the demon aswell!'

 

'He wore a knight's costume from the Germanic kingdom - Are they sending spies and preparing to invade?'

 

'What if they have joined forces with demons!?'

 

'We don't know any of this!' Yelled the first man, his commanding voice spreading a hush over the small crowd. While their city had been populated by thousands, now only a hundred or so remained. 'But the blonde boy was from the Training school, and that knight seemed to be heading that way aswell. There is nothing else that way but the castle - not by foot at least.'

 

'Are we to beleive that these.. these children from a training school are in cahoots with demons?!' Ordered an old woman, her wrinkled face creasing in on itself in rage.

 

'Beleive what you want, but I have heard rumours that this Training school teaches more than the fighting arts. Explosions issue from there day and night. The weather over the castle is always different: one day it is raining in the city, and yet the sun is shining over there. A blizzard is raging in the mountains and theres a thunderstorm centered by their shooting grounds! I and many others have sworn to have seen DRAGONS flying in an out of veiw in their valley!

 

 'Something strange is going on over there, and they don't want us to know about it!' Cheers issued from the crowd as he paused. With an impowered sigh, he rasied his voice again. 'I say, we go over there and confront them! We have magic users in our city still - and our weapons are still sharp. Gathered your swords and march with me - We'll get to the bottom of this once and for all!'