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Chapter 16

"Goddamn roadblocks. Why are there so many of them around Adaline?"

"I don't know. I've never seen these things around when I went huntin' five days ago. What's goin' on?"

After having a clear road journey from the border town of Arbal into the depths of Adaline region for around a full day, they were halted by a crudely laid roadblock, easy to break only by the strengths of the hellhounds. The roadblock was made from rocks laid out crudely and only supported by the similarly crude logs. It was hastily put there by a kind of group that didn't want to accept visitors, as they had encountered before.

"(Damn it, it's just like those bandits)," said Ifrit while trying to pull a log. "(Thinking that some idiots would like to...)"

"Wait, Ifrit! Don't pull it!"

Eshdar's exclaim in the language he wasn't fluent in surprised him and he froze in place. When he turned his head, Eshdar pulled his bow and said, "Don't move. You're being targeted."

Ifrit didn't want to betray his friends back in the carriage. He didn't move every muscle in his body. He dared not to endanger his friends for being a hellhound.

Little did he know that Albreich and Lilac, behind him, were readying their respective weapons. Albreich wanted to take out something out of his shelf and Lilac readied her claws, wolf instinct full with her. But when they wanted to get out joining Eshdar, a voice suddenly said, "Stop! Lower your bow, Lycan. We don't want to give a problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Tell us where to go and we'll give a detour! This road is off-limits."

"I can't really believe in humans more than I believe a fox, so back off before I burn you up."

There was a slight silence between them, before one of them, clearly carrying a crossbow, went out from the shades. He was hooded, but not for long, as he pulled it back and both hellhounds gasped when they saw the horns on his head.

"We're not even humans, or even a mortal Lycan," said the lead hellhound. He then put down his crossbow, while bowing to Eshdar, or more specifically, to both of them.

"I welcome you, crown prince and heir to the Winsel family, and the crown prince of Drundas and heir to the Schelkz family. We'll help you go through this forest with your companions, so please follow us."

As much as Eshdar didn't want to trust hellhounds, he was sure they weren't trying to expose their identities or if they really respected their status, but either way, they were led into a safer camp spot in the middle of the forest, where many other hellhounds, clearly soldiers, were brandishing their swords and made preparations in a kind of attack.

With a concern on whose believing who, Ifrit pulled out his hand and said, "(Hey, would you mind...)"

Suddenly the lead hellhound jumped to him and closed his maw. He then said, "We don't talk Hordo near an enemy territory. It's safer with English. Can you speak English?"

"Yes, I do...but what is..."

"The villages down the open roads were now populated by hellhounds after they massacred the whole place. Like Renita, they changed the place into a home base while posing as Lycans to the world. If you think the spring festival will be held in Renita, it won't happen. You gotta use a detour around this forest for the third village, Stelikan, to catch it, okay?"

"Wait for just a minute, hound. How on earth did you find out about our intentions?"

"We have ears around Adaline, and we have been spying you under Nergora's order."

"Nergora? Where is he?" asked Ifrit.

"I can't tell you that. If he's lost we can't fight them back. He's the leader of our cause."

"Uhm...if I may..."

The hellhound focused his view to the one talking. Albreich was trying to talk with Lilac talking with a hellhound soldier beside her. He cleared his throat and said, "It's not that I don't trust you guys, but this is the biggest setting for a hellhound camp. Also, you hellhounds looked more like Lycans than a more hellish one like Ifrit does. What are all of you?"

"Have you ever heard about the caste in our origin? Most of us are of the lower caste from these two princes, but in the liberal mortal world, that doesn't really needed and they are just like us, except for their fur color. Only royals have unique colored fur associated with fire. Ifrit here, no offense, your majesty, is the closest to a hellhound, where he had this black fur. That aside, for the lower citizens, we have normal dog-like furs, and not all of us can use fire. Royals always can use fire."

"So, that explains why his fire power is more seen than most other hellhounds?"

"Well, so."

Albreich made a smile, while saying, "You do know much about your race."

"And I can see that's a trade in my part. The name's Vlantus Kenari. Nice to meet you, human."

"The name's Albreich Schafner. It's good having a chat with you."

While extending his hand and shaking the furred hellhound's hand, the trader started, "Oh...I almost forgot. Back in Snohand, I encounter a weird phenomenon when some fire suddenly went out. Do you know what's that mean?"

"Hmm...I can't tell you that. We encounter the same thing back in Hastorin. The whole place suddenly gone dark. If not for some of our hellhounds they would be freezing to death that night."

"Something big is coming," said a hellhound behind Albreich. "Many hellhounds ran from hell up here, and believe me, not all of them are the friendliest bunch."

"I can understand that, but what's with the fire?"

"We can talk more about this, since we don't have proof. I see that you bunch are tired. Maybe staying for a while in our camp for the night can ease it up?"

"Yeah, sure. We wanted to come to the next village to stay, but considering the danger, I don't want to risk it."

The night came soon as they had opened a new camp for Ifrit and Lilac (on Ifrit's request). With Ifrit's immense power on fire, they got a night of warmth and without concern on revealing their location, the hellhounds made a small feast party after their successful hunt, with Eshdar participating in eagerness. While Lilac wanted to participate too (all because of her canine urge), Vlantus, who also didn't participate and only took a clay bottle full of rum, sat beside her and said, "You don't wanna play with them. It's not lady-like and you're a Lycan."

"Oh...but where can I eat?"

"There's a plate of the meal if you want. Your boyfriend takes it for you."

It was true. In the middle of the ravage fight for food, Ifrit somehow managed to slip out from the group with a plate full of the boar's meat. He cursed a hellhound before finally managed to get to Lilac.

"Hi...I'm sorry if this is not very neat. Those hellhounds are very rough."

Lilac just smiled. "It's alright, Ifrit. I like it if you care about me. Oh, and it's rude, not rough."

"I'll leave you two here, okay? I gotta sort out those hounds."

Vlantus left while trying to control those he commanded. Lilac just shook her head and took the plate to a nearby table, where with the provide knife and fork, started to eat the meat slowly. The boar wasn't fully roasted and it was still juicy, perfect for her werewolf bloodlust. Ifrit was just there eating his own piece of meat while turning on the candle beside him. They stared for a moment, eyes locked with each other, before Lilac turned her view to her tail, which she put on her lap, over her dress and acted as a handkerchief.

"I never thought a dinner with a hellhound can be this romantic," said Lilac slowly. "Something tells me you study this all by yourself."

"I happen to read some of your romance books, Lilac, and they have this scene. I love to try it, seeing that they're very good and nice."

"It isn't a fiction, Ifrit, and it's always the good way in having a date."

After eating some more, Lilac drank a wine beside her and said, "You seem neutral. Aren't you happy to meet your own kind again?"

"I wish I could, but I can't trust many hellhounds. We're evil creatures, right?"

"Not all of them." Lilac felt she was talking the truth, not because of her being manipulated by a demon, but she could understand one after loving him. Not all demons were bad, especially after they left their old lives behind and developed a human feeling. Aside from that, her lupine heart was telling her that Ifrit also had a pure wolf instinct and feelings, not that he developed it.

To make things went better between them, Lilac put her now furry hand over Ifrit's hand, and again felt the warmth penetrated her furs into her body. She felt comfortable, just like last time, and now she wanted to kiss the hellhound again before Vlantus cleared his throat, forcing them to break.

"Vlantus! Oh, are we inappropriate? If it so, then excuse..."

"Wait, Lycan. It's alright. I don't want to break that passionate kiss."

"It's alright," said Ifrit. "Join us."

Vlantus sat in front of them with the bottle on his hand. He was drinking hard, yet it didn't make him sick. He just drank it like it's a drinking water. When he finished the bottle, he said, "You know, losing most of the heat around me gets the nerve out of me, so I'll stuff down this booze."

"Oh...but isn't it unhealthy?"

"Fermented things are nothing for hellhounds," he said while putting the bottle aside. "I was once like Schelkz here. After developing a strong feeling to the new world I came to, it was euphoric. I almost killed myself out of happiness. It was different. Everything down there only come in a rule; kill or be killed. We are like emotionless killing machine, taking out many others just to live by ourselves. Sometimes we forgot what you surface dwellers say about the definition of hell, and the condition down there is true, except that we don't rule it. Hellhounds fight to survive, as we live in the most on conflict layer of hell. Schelkz here, though I respected him as a crown prince, I respected him and Winsel as fighters and survivors. And yes, (your majesty), you're different from the human's king."

"Thank you...I feel flattered."

"Now, maybe I should return back..."

"No, wait," said Lilac. "Is it true Ifrit is a crown prince? You also mention Winsel. Are they the princes of hell?"

"Miss," said Vlantus while drinking another bottle he fetched from somewhere both of them couldn't see. "If you see the three rings on Ifrit's (blade) tail tip, you'll know the reason that he's one. Eshdar has another, but it was more visible. On each of the rings, there is an inscription detailing his coronation."

Ifrit wanted to know his past more, and to do that he needed to know everything about them, even to the slightest thing. The hellhound put his tail on the table (his tail was long enough) and said, "Can you tell us?"

The brown hellhound opened the fur covering the tail and again that bone colored blade tip was visible. Just at the base of the tip there were three rune-carved rings, illuminated in the presence of fire. Vlantus read them carefully, and said, "This can be worse."

"What's wrong?"

"The inscription is written in a language called Karyliyas, a very rare language used by the ancient demons. Only a little of the hellhounds still speak this language, and I must say, this is the best to hide a secret."

"W...what secret found in there."

"I really want to know, but no hellhounds I knew can talk..."

"I can."

They all turned to Eshdar, who was eating a boar's leg full. He set down the lump of meat and said, "My father teach me how to talk Karyliyas. He said it's in the family or somethin', so I learned some of it out of necessary, even after knowin' it's a dead language."

"So...can you do it, Eshdar?"

"Let's see.... Oh, it's not a secret at all. Well, damn that's great."

"What does it say?"

Eshdar pulled Ifrit's tail closer to Eshdar, before he said, "(His name is Ifrit of House Schelkz. May the fire are him to command, and may the name bestowed upon him serve him to all his linage). Oh, now I get it. Ifrit, your name is a Karyliyan of 'fire'."

"Fire?"

"Yes. It's a common lore down there. Ifrit is the powerful fire ghost that likes to stalk demons with his powers. Though I know he is a nuisance to fire demons, but down in the seventh layer, he is a menace. He kills thousands of ice demons with his powers and this caused the similar turmoil down there, knowing that he rules. If that ghost ever want to drop a whole seventh layer, he can do it just that."

"And you're saying that this dangerous ghost is the reason why I have this name?"

"Maybe your parents want you to be a great ruler, in a good way."

"(Unbelievable)," said Ifrit.

"Yeah, sometimes some origins aren't what they really are, much like your friend Albreich."

"Albreich, what's about him?"

"Someday," said Vlantus while standing up. "You'll know the time when you don't have any friends left."

As Vlantus walked away, Ifrit was wondering on his statement. Was the hellhound true about what he would experience someday? Eshdar didn't seem to understand it either, but he walked away to a tent he made himself for, while Ifrit walked back to his tent with Lilac.

Inside, Ifrit started to say, "Do you think what Vlantus said is true?"

Lilac turned her head to him. She somehow knew what he meant, but she chose not to talk about it. She put her hand to his head and said, "You can have more friends than you really thought, Ifrit. You're different. I mean...many of you are different, but I can sense the wolf in you. You're not a hellish being. You're a wolf, and a wolf will make a great pack and become an aspiring leader."

The hellhound made a smile. He knew there were friends out there, either human or Lycans, that finally could accept him the way he is. Lilac, Albreich, and Eshdar were the least of them. Now, he wanted to take on a new life. He didn't want to return as a prince, but now he wanted to be together with Lilac, forever on until their deaths.