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Chapter 19

Again, the vivid dream haunted Ifrit's mind, and it was getting clearer and clearer. In what he seemed to be a castle ground, he could clearly see the castle where a family of hellhounds lives. He remembered the castle was now in ruins after the only family living there perished. He only remembered living on the outer rims of Drundas. He never remembered inside the castle before, but now the dream suggested that. Now, he realized he was watching an event from the memory of another hellhound, not as a thing being seen by the hellhound parents.

"(Will our sons be alright, Hynorsi?)"

"(My wife...there's nothing we can do on our impending doom. The last time I tried to talk to the rebels, they cut my messenger's head off and impaled it on the front door of our castle. I think that's enough to tell us they are not going to negotiate)."

"(But you have to save our sons)."

"(We only have one chance, my wife. I've contacted the Winsel family. By now they have been leaving to the surface. Apparently...we can't)."

"(Because of the 'Promise')."

When the male hellhound nodded, his wife broke into tears, and embraced him. Hynorsi was moved by it, and shed a little tear, while saying, "(All this sad feeling...will vanish with the fire...but I'm so glad that we awakened it)."

"(I know them very well...Sammael?)"

Ifrit felt that his body was urged forward. He realized he was inside the memory of another being, but he realized that the sound of the one he saw the memory was somehow the dog demon, and then he realized that this dog demon named Sammael was watching him and Nergora as a baby, and he realized these hellhounds were his parents.

His cub self was then unseen from view, with his father's view, Hynorsi, was watching through the dog. His lupine eyes were staring down at the unearthly eyes (hellish demon dogs are quadruple creatures with no furs, resembling a dog, had slender legs, and six eyes. They represented the wildlife of hell and were very vicious. They only acknowledged hellhounds as friends. One of the most well-known demon dogs was Cerberus, being mutated as such to be like a quadruped hellhound with three heads).

"(Sammael, I'm sorry if I couldn't be a good master for you, but...please be safe around. You're free to go after taking them to Rhynsa and Sovarn. Don't die soon)."

"(You taught me how to be a better dog, master)," said Sammael, which somehow was clear with Ifrit's mind. "(I will take them to the generals)."

"(Always be safe. Strong legs, Sammael)."

The memory stopped when Sammael started to turn, as Ifrit woke up in the tent where he was sleeping with Lilac. It was morning already, seen from the light coming into the tent from the morning sun. With a grunt, he woke up, put on his leather jacket, and went out to the open, where the group of hellhounds had started to make breakfast. One of them, a hellhound Ifrit knew by the human name of Andy, came to him, and said, "You're early. Your companion hasn't up yet."

"I have one of the wildest dreams I've ever known. What's for breakfast?"

"Adaline Region's favorite. Bacon Omelet."

This was surprising for the hellhound. In Tragoria, it's one of the lunch menus, but in Adaline, it was a breakfast. Despite of having a warm winter, Adaline people were having too much of a shift in food."

"W...wait... Where are the usual dried fruits? I thought..."

"Oh, you're awake, huh? I'll take care of our guests."

After the hellhound went to a table, Vlantus turned back and gave a bread and cheese for Ifrit, while saying, "It's hard to find berries in the forest. I can only give you these. Next time, you must try helping yourself in understanding the regions' cultures. Adaline consisted of immigrants and explorers from the older Tragoria region. You won't find anything as usual, especially if you're talking about manners."

"Well, I've never reached a settlement, so..."

"If you see Eshdar's style and accent, you'll understand a little. Adaline has the most people, Lycans and humans alike, with different accents we don't get to use the names for describing it. Eshdar used Southern Sound Accent, an accent only found around the southern side of Adaline. When you proceed west, you'll find the West Coast. Hey, can someone bring me a map?"

After a hellhound gave Vlantus a sheet of map, Ifrit realized that was a continent full of many regions. He could see the names like Dusdolf, Tanah, Tragoria, Adaline, Rodina, and Isola written on many of the regions around the continent. What made him fascinated was on how Adaline region being the biggest area in term of borders, if compared to others.

"What a map!"

"It is...we're currently in the Treespring forest. It's around here," said Vlantus while pointing to a group of small trees in the forest. "Stelikan was near the forest and it's the alternate way if you want to hurry a few days by skipping Renita and two more villages. Believe me, we have our own reasons."

"I understand."

"Since we have quite a lot of time, how about if I teach you a little knowledge to aid you in your exploration, Ifrit? Since you're living on the surface, it's time for you to know a little about this place."

After a long good dream that night, Lilac woke up with seeing her own tail near her nightgown. She knew she was now a standing wolf, and thus she some of the tail part out for comfort. She wasn't sure if that was the thing that kept her comfortable, though.

Now, with no use of any footwear, Lilac was worried her paws would be very dirty in the muddy forest, knowing very well that she wasn't accustomed to clean her paws for a while. Though she always cleaned them in normal situation, it was because there was a river near where they opened camp. She just sighed and walked to the place where she sniffed bacon, before a hellhound, clearly Vlantus, emerged from the curtain and said, "Miss Rezmirn, maybe it's better if you use a footwear outside."

"But I'm a wolf. I can walk around without any footwear."

"I know Tragorians don't like having to walk bare foot. When you have become a werewolf, you're still a human in heart. That's the reason why you still believe in manner, unlike us hellhounds. Here, wrap these up around your paws."

Lilac saw that it was like a sock, but the sock was modified so the part around the paw was cut, revealing it to the open. It looked like a sock, but then she saw some shoe strings, and she realized that it was a shoe, modified to fit with the paws of a hellhound and Lycan's back paw alike.

"Well? It's better than walking bare-foot, right?"

"Y...yes. But, Mr. Kenari."

"Just call me Vlantus."

"Vlantus...if this is a foot...or paw-wear, why is it..."

"How can you walk without your paws?"

Lilac knew he made a sense, and didn't answer back while trying to put the shoes in difficulty, yet she managed to. When she went out, the usual sunlight hit her face and made her very hot. It was so hot with the Adaline morning light despite it was the last month of winter. It was warm already, like it was summer around her village.

When she asked for a meal of bacon omelet, she took a glance to Ifrit, who was eating bread coupled with cut cheese. Knowing very well that Ifrit was still stuck with the Tragorian custom, Lilac just smiled and sat beside him, offering him a strip of bacon.

"We're in Adaline, so do please eat. You need more energy when walking under the hot sun."

"Isn't it supposed to be cold?"

"Well it won't be that cold with hellhounds around us."

After they started to laugh to each other, Lilac embraced Ifrit while saying, "You're up early. When I opened my eyes you are gone."

"I have a wild dream."

"Like...what?"

"You won't believe it, but I was dreaming of being a demon dog."

"What is that?"

"Uh...." Ifrit wasn't sure about saying about his dream, since it was really bizarre to be heard to a Lycan. But then he resolved and said, "Demon dog is a creature in hell. They are what you misinterpret as hellhounds."

"Those monsters are dogs?!"

"We called them that. Apparently this demon dog is my pet when I was small. My parents trusted him in any way possible. Somehow I must thank him after I knew that his actions were for both of our safety."

"This dog is the one saving you? I thought you..."

"I don't recall any memory from this event. What I last remember was how I lived with a soul and his companion while I tried to talk with English and understand human value."

"Oh...so these dreams are the memories of those you felt so close to?"

"Yes...I wish he is alright."

"Do you remember his name? When you want to be grateful to someone you know, you must at least remember his name. Hans once told me that."

"He's uh...Sammael, right? Yeah, that's his name. My father somehow trusts this dog like his own generals, and..."

"Did you just say Sammael?"

"That's my father's dog's name..."

"Wait, Ifrit, let me remember something...oh yes.... Ifrit, do you remember about the book about demons you read?"

"It is."

"I read the hellhound section and somehow something disturbing came over my mind. That name you gave me was the name of the hellhound with the description you read."

"(Oh, maybe she's talking about the one I thought was too ugly to be a hellhound)," thought Ifrit. "(Guess I forgot the name)."

"But...maybe you remember something from the book and it was inside your dream and..."

"Sammael is the Schelkz family most loyal dog," said Vlantus when he sat beside them and gave them the exact book that burned. "He once roams on the surface of the earth trying to find Ifrit when he went missing for a year after his parents' death. Sammael is a loyal dog. He keeps searching for you until he managed to warn a group of us and take him to a friend. Oh, and he's famous for the name of a hellhound because Sammael means 'Hope', and right now he is the giver of our hope for saving you and Nergora."

"I really should thank him...."

"How can you thank him? He's a dog."

"Oh, right." But Ifrit felt unsure if his conversation with Shining and Pebbles were genuine. Eshdar seemed to know his weird ability, yet he was unsure if he could talk with Sammael the next time they met. His father somehow could, but maybe Sammael could talk, unlike the other demon dogs that could only growl and make weird noises.

After packing up the tent, the group started their journey toward Stelikan inside the forest, where, as Vlantus said, provided a better cover for the large group without attracting too much attention. Lilac couldn't do anything except talking with Albreich, but sometimes she chatted with Ifrit (which always ended in a romantic way). She was somehow fascinated on Ifrit's newfound knowledge of maps and also wind directions. He could sense when the wind will change course and when it would rain and how dry was the wind. His all-want-to-know behavior also took its place in archery, where Eshdar, during a hunt, would teach Ifrit on how to carry a bow and arrow and shoot it, with Ifrit had no skill in, despite of his adaptability.

After a travel for half the day, they managed to reach the forest bordering Stelikan. Since it was night already Albreich had no place to sell the fresh products he gathered with his new hellhound friends and was forced to put them inside his carriage until the next morning, hoping they wouldn't rot over time. Unlike the village Ifrit went before, this town was like the smaller version of a city, and somehow the place was different in many ways since his depart from Tragoria. While the gas lighting was still there, lighting the brick road, the houses and many other buildings were made with bricks, much like the town Ifrit forgot its name, yet this one was cleaner and smaller than the urban city. There were still many activities during the night, with a faint sound of music from some of the houses and still some people, mostly Lycans, roamed the night. Since Ifrit wasn't sure what to do, he asked Albreich about the noises.

"Adaline is slightly more advance that Tragoria in term of technology. The cultures here are different than Tragoria's cultures. Lilac, you must also know this. In Adaline, you cannot change your form in the day. It's considered a threat to Adaline people and you'll have to serve your time in jail. For Ifrit, no use of any magic around the towns and village of Adaline, okay?"

"Albreich, do they use..."

"They don't use steam anymore, Lilac. They used electricity from the nearby river and also from coal plant. This gas lighting is a lamp, and that's the reason it's brighter than in Tragoria. Let me help you around and you'll do fine."

After they reached a hotel, Ifrit was again amazed on the moving room. He saw how it moved up and down, and how there were some people walking into the thing. But then he knew that Albreich had more explanation to do with them, and after he finished signing the guestbook, he said, "It's a new invention. That moving room is called an elevator."

"Elevator? Well, I don't think I read that in a dictionary," said Lilac while watching the machinery. "Is it a faster alternative to stairs?"

"Adaline has a higher standard for buildings, and there is always a building that exceeds 5 floors, so this machine is required for faster and less tiring walks. You'll find more of them soon."

During the elevator ride to the fourth floor, Albreich said, "There are three regions with great industrial advancements. The most advance is Dusdolf, where I live. There you can see that they had invented a spring-loaded crossbow that can rearm itself, provided you have the bolts necessary. Again, there are always things like radio, telegrams, and many other things around Dusdolf that are very advanced. Adaline comes second, with their good use in natural resources like hydroelectric dams and turbines they could minimize the air pollution, unlike the more coal-powered Dusdolf. Tragoria is the last, since they had just started from the steam era, a time that was started by Dusdolf people. For the other regions...well, I can't say much. Tanah is being helped by Dusdolf in using technologies while Isola is still primitive. It's not very even."

"Then why are there many explorers going to the other continents when there's a better advance in technology in Ternor?"

"If you can advance, why can't you explore?"

When they reached their rooms, they were surprised. For a room with only three gold coins, it was too good for them. The room was covered with paint, and there was a weird cone-like thing on the other side of the room. There was also a bathtub and a sink with water tap on one side of the thing, complete with a mirror and the best of all, a toilet. It was also a connecting room, with Ifrit and Lilac's room on the other side of Albreich's part, only separated by a folding door.

"What in the world is this? This is like a house..."

"Damn, these technologies are getting cheaper and cheaper these days," said Albreich while rubbing his forehead. "Three gold coins? Seriously? (In Adaline, three gold coins are equivalent with 10 American Dollars, and with the technology, it's the 10 dollars of the 1910s)."

"10 dollars?"

"What is 10 dollars, Ifrit? Is that the currency down in hell?"

"No...some weird force is explaining that..."

"Stop talking with that force already. If it's written in a conversation, it's not intended for us, okay?" said Albreich. "That's the creepiest thing in your life and you don't want Lilac to see that thing, okay?"

"Alright, alright..."

That night seemed to be a night full of music ringing inside Ifrit's head after he turned on the gramophone (Albreich had explained him that earlier), playing a kind of a new music (again, the trader said it was jazz) he never heard from the singing back in Tragoria. Life seemed different around Adaline, with a bar on the other side of the road with its lights still on and some people talking around in the middle of the night made him knew the region was more crowded that Tragoria's small towns and villages. It felt different from his journey.

He couldn't sleep with the noises, so he resolved with walking around the place. He knew the inn from the alcohol scent on the other side of the hotel. At night, there were still people walking around, mostly beggars and drunks. When he saw a mechanical clock striking the time at 11, he sat on a park bench, where the place slowly became quieter and colder. Knowing that it's the time to sleep, Ifrit walked back to his inn when the hellhound sniffed a weird hellish scent near him. He quickly turned, and found a creature he knew as a demon dog.

The demon dog was very different from what Ifrit would know of a dog. It was furless, with the head that was covered with a skull of a dog, but he could see that underneath the skull mask, the dog had six eyes. It also had a long tail akin to hellhounds, but again, they were furless and its features were like a naked dog, except that this naked dog was unnaturally thin and wasn't as aggressive as many demon dogs around the hellish world.

It was walking nearer to Ifrit, with the hellhound's first action was putting his hand over the dog, making it growled in a sudden surprise. It made some growls before it talked with a doubled voice, ghastly as it was.

"(I've never thought to meet you after so many years, my master)," said the dog. "(You may not know me, but I'm master Hynorsi's pet)."

"(So...you're Sammael?)"

"(Yes, you're correct. Master Hynorsi asked me to protect my young masters for the continuity of the Schelkz family. I can't find master Nergora around, and I was very surprised when you reached this town with a group of forest hellhounds)."

"(I owe them much.... It's so good to meet you again, Sammael. I never thought I can say I'm very grateful for saving my life)."

"(You can have my sincere service. I'm your pet, and I'll protect you on your journey)."

"(Just tell me...what happened during my parent's death? What was going on?)"

Sammael made a movement of a confused dog, before saying, "(The hellhounds didn't appreciate master Hynorsi's way to understand the feeling and make a peace with each other. As a sentient dog I was taught about it and understand human culture from him, but he died, leaving his heritage with me as a sign of trust. I lost you in the wailing river, and I punished myself for it. I wandered around the hell before going to the surface world to see the night world, a beautiful world of life)."

"(You can't be seen under the sun with those features, right?)"

"(You assume correctly)."

"(I don't know if Albreich and Lilac will understand you, but I just wish you can be our protector, knowing that demon dogs are very vicious when it comes to fighting. But, I can't guarantee the carriage had a place for a demon dog to sleep)."

"(I can sleep anywhere I want, and I'm very grateful that you want to take me again, master Ifrit)."

Ifrit finally found the source of his memory, and he was glad he finally could find all of his companions before his memory loss. Knowing their fate was enough for him to know that he had a life before being the one he knew was different from any hellhounds, and he wanted to survive with Lilac, now he knew he had enemies.