Gardenia’s Heart

(Where does the mist come from, Lily?)

As they walked through the forest, the two girls conversed about anything and everything. The ability to finally communicate was so enjoyable that neither wanted to stop learning more about the other. 

After a series of questions for Lily, such as her favorite food, which turned out to be bread, and her favorite color, which turned out to be black, the metamorph began to inquire about the world.

"Hm... where should I start?"

Making sure not to stray from the trail they had just found, Lily put her hands on her chin and began to ponder. Squatting down on the ground, she picked up a small stick and began to draw a large circle in a handful of soil she found. The circle was then divided into three uneven regions.

"From what my father told me, a long time ago the world was divided into three major territories. The first, Anthus, belonged to humans and demi-humans. It was the greenest and most abundant region of the world. The harvests were plentiful, and the rivers were pure and clean."

Drawing a happy smile at the partition that covered much of the left side of the circle, she continued, now pointing to the largest of the partitions.

"The second territory, Phaea, was where the races that mastered the use of mana lived. Elves, dwarves, and dragons. It wasn't as resource-rich as the first, but the presence of mana in nature still made the place habitable," Lily explained, pointing to the largest partition.

Finally, she pointed to the last and smallest part on the right. 

"The last territory, Finis, was ruled by what we call demons," the girl's voice lowered slightly in tone. “The easternmost part of the world is said to be a white, dark, and freezing desert. Nothing can survive in that land covered in dark mana besides demons and monsters."

A long second passed, and Lily made a small dot inside the third territory. “Among the demons, a single one was powerful enough to command them all. This singular being has bestowed the title of Demon King," she continued, her arm hairs standing on end at the mere mention of his title. “Leading his army, he began to attack the other territories to obtain resources. From there, a great war engulfed the planet."

Lily then drew a small man with a sword, her depiction of arms and legs with just a line appearing cute in Nia's mind. “The beings from the second territory allied with those from the first. The alliance between Anthus and Phaea marched head-on to face the demon king," she narrated, drawing other people besides the first man. "An elite group, called the Five Heroes, was formed. Together they marched into Finis and killed the Demon King."

A large X was drawn on the last territory. "With his last strength, the Demon King unleashed a final curse. From his own body, a great cold mist shot across the planet. It was his wish to make the other races suffer the same conditions his people had endured," she began hatching much of the three territories. “Where the mist touched, sunlight barely reached, the land became infertile, and breathing became difficult. If that wasn't enough, the hatred the mist carried increased the activity and emergence of monsters. The war had ended, but the consequences were unimaginable."

She blew the mist gathering around her nose and continued, making a small X on the first territory. "As we are far from Finis, the mist is less dense here, and we can survive even within it. But it seems that the closer we get to the East, the denser the concentration becomes."

Rising, Lily used her new boots made by Nia to wipe the drawing clean. Her beloved girl hadn't commented anything during the explanation and seemed to be pondering something. Staying silent to let her think clearly, Lily returned to the road.

(So... could it be the hatred of the Demon King that issues the orders?) she mused aloud.

"Orders?" Noting the strange remark that finally came from Nia, Lily inquired.

Nia realized she had never explained this, so she quickly began to clarify. (Since the moment a monster is born, we receive orders in our minds from a voice. They vary from moving or attacking, but the most common is 'kill.' All monsters follow this voice without question; it is imposing and terrifying. Even now, if I think about it, I can hear it faintly deep within me,) Nia explained, her voice trembling.

Noticing how Nia's voice was becoming shaky, Lily placed her hand over her heart.

"You managed to resist those orders, right? Any idea how you did it?" Lily inquired.

(Monsters, at least the lower ones I used to know, don't have a mind. One day, I found something I thought was a book inside the cave where I was born, and when I absorbed it, I felt something awakening inside me) Nia paused for a moment, feeling the warmth of Lily's hand. (I gained knowledge and a mind, only then could I begin to question the orders. Somehow, the other monsters sensed that I was disobeying the orders and tried to kill me. I ended up fleeing and being found by you,) Nia explained, her voice trembling considerably.

Words of support or pity shouldn't be spoken to console her in this situation. Lily knew this and therefore gave the only response she believed to be appropriate. “Good job."

(Yes!) the cheerful voice responded to the gentle one, and both laughed.

"I don't know what the book you acquired was, but when we reach a city, we can gather information about it," Lily suggested, placing her hand on her chin again. "Is it from that book that you learned to manipulate mana and cast spells?"

(Thank you, and yes, they're like small pieces of information that gradually accumulate. I don't know how to decipher them, but if I train and study them, I can find useful things) Nia replied.

Both of Lily's hands began to emit a subtle purple and red glow. (Circular mana, or in our case, dark mana, was one of them.)

Each point where the light was emitted seemed stronger than usual for the girl. She knew that mana was being transmitted within every cell of her body, which already made her stronger. However, when the light was emitted outward, the sensation of power was multiplied.

"Do you know the difference between normal mana and dark mana?" Lily inquired.

(For now, besides dark mana being the life support pillar of monsters, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe if we encounter more mages, we'll have some basis) Nia replied.

The only mages the duo knew were the men who had tried to kill them just yesterday. Lily would like to forget that trash, but it was the only basis of mages she knew.

"I'm sure we'll encounter some other mage in the future. For now, let's deal with the current problem," Lily concluded.

(Yes) Nia agreed.

Without even needing to explain the reason to her companion, Lily gripped a sword in her right hand, and the aura that was only in her hand ignited like fire throughout her body. 

Slowly, she began to be surrounded from all sides. The creatures were quadrupeds and had pure white fur from their snouts to the two tails attached to the bottom of their backs. Four legs with claws extended several centimeters and tore up the forest floor. Additionally, huge white fangs matched with two white eyes on the sides of their faces.

"Ice foxes, then?" At least a dozen foxes walked towards Lily, the air beside them seeming to freeze as small snowflakes formed. The temperature of the environment seemed to drop even further.

"Nia, can you confirm something for me?" Lily's serene voice echoed through the surroundings. It was as cold as the ice foxes surrounding her. "They're attacking me because they obeyed the order to kill me, right?"

(Yes, the chance of it being the opposite is almost impossible.)

Walking slowly towards the emerging foxes, Lily let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, I won't have to hold back against any of them, then."