Outside the North Gate of the Redwing city, the small beast expedition team was ready to set out on their new adventure. The two students, Flynn, a black sash knight and Wendy, a green sash knight, were the most excited out of the bunch, as it would be the first time for them going out of the city on an expedition.

  Ever since the borders had been closed off due to the Shadow Plague's attack, the authorities were quite strict with allowing students out of the city for their safety. Even now, there weren't many places for the citizens or the Redwings to go other than the city. They were constantly being surrounded and monitored from all sides.

  However, where they would be going today was directly north from the kingdom and into the Shadow plague territory, the only place where none of the other kingdoms or the empire had their eyes.

  The beast team also had Lenny and Bliss. These two had a different goal, which was to clear the possessed and spoiled land, hopefully, expand their territory and give them the ability to grow more crops. If the city could become self-sufficient, it no longer mattered too much how their relations with the others were.

  Then there were Kyle, Martha, and Harry. These three were the main protectors of the group. However, Harry and Kyle would be on the lookout for beasts that would suit their skillset and eventually go through the beasting process themselves along with the two students.

  "We've been here for half an hour already," Flynn complained. "Who are we waiting for?"

  "Just be patient," Martha said. "I heard that Slyvia decided that there would be one more coming with us."

  "Hello!" An energetic voice entered their ears from behind.

  As everyone turned to look, they could see a true black haired beauty walking through the gate and heading in their direction.

  The others instantly knew who she was since Slyvia had been making a big deal out of it for the past week.

  "Isn't that the King's mother?" Wendy whispered to Flynn next to her.

  "Yeah, so what do we call her, Grandma Queen?" Lynn replied.

  "Trust me, you two," Harry said from behind. "You do not want to call a middle-aged woman grandma unless you have a death wish."

  "Well, now that everyone's here, why don't we start moving," Lenny said as he started to walk in a certain direction.

  The group was on the move, and it would take them a while before they went to their destination. As to not make others aware, only a small group was allowed on this expedition, and at the same time, they had decided to travel on foot.

  During the journey, Scarlett was most interested in Bliss. According to Slyvia, this girl was the Divine Being.

  The Divine being was well known and believed in, in the Alure Kingdom but not too far spread in the others. The only reason Scarlett knew of the Divine being is due to her husband and her time at Roland. Other Kingdoms and cities worshipped thier own gods.

  "So while we are all bored, I was wondering, what do you all think of my little Ray?" Scarlett asked.

  "Powerful," Harry answered.

  "Mysterious," Lenny said.

  "Caring," Martha answered.

  "A King," Flynn replied.

  "Well, that's a bit of a stupid answer," Wendy said, "Thoughtful. Unlike this idiot."

  Everyone so far had answered Scarlett's question, and it all seemed to be positive, apart from one person, Bliss.

  "And you…" she asked.

  "Hmm, I haven't been travelling with him for long, but I guess I would say 'a Fake'." Of course, when saying this answer, Bliss was interested in how the others would react to this as well.

  "Fake? What do you mean by that?" Scarlett replied.

  "There are times when Ray can come across as soft, and there are other times when he comes off as aggressive. Does he hate people, or does he like them? When watching him, I am often confused, which can only make me think that one of these sides is Fake. Whether he knows it or not is a different thing altogether."

  Hearing this had made Scarlett a little sad. She loved hearing people talk about his son, but the truth was she was asking because she herself didn't have an opinion of him. She had only spent five years of his life together with him. She wished she had been there longer, or with him along the way, but she couldn't.

  "Can I ask, do you know if Ray still keeps a small pendant around him. It should be a little black gem around his neck?" Scarlett asked.

  "Hmm, I don't believe I have," Martha replied. "I've been with him the longest, although he often always wore clothing or heavy armour so there could be something. I never really looked honestly."

  'I'll have to check when I get back with him.' Scarlett thought. 'I hope he hasn't lost it.'

  Finally, the group had reached the Shadow Plague land. It was strange when one would look at it, for the land was different in colour altogether. On one side, green grass fields and trees stood. Yet on another, as if a person had drawn a line down, the land was completely black, with no grass and only trees with no leaves.

  It looks as is the shadow possing the land couldn't go any further for some reason.

  The land they were on was quite open, on one side clear green fields with trees quite far away, and on the other, the shadow plague land.

  "We're a bit out in the open here." Lenny said, "But at the same time, it will allow us to see if anything will come towards us."

  "You think they will?" Wendy gulped nervously.

  Lenny then bent down to grab part of the soil that was infected with the Shadow Plague and placed it into a small tube. Bliss, who was by his side, handed him what looked like a dropper, a pipet.

  "If our guess is right, the Shadow Plague and all those infected by it are linked. It all goes to one person or being in the end." Lenny explained. "So anything we do while in the Shadow Plague territory, or when attacking a shadow creature. The main person behind it knows it all."

  "You think this is all one person's doing. It's not some disease?" Flynn asked.

  "Not, think," Bliss replied. "I know it is." The kids didn't know that Bliss was the Divine being. But to the others who heard this, these words coming from a so-called god sounded very convincing.

  Three drops fell from the pipet into the test tube, and a reaction started to occur. He then closed the top of the tube with a cork. A black mist rose from the soil as if it was a Shadow, and the two substances were no longer together. The black soil in the tube had returned to its natural brown earthy colour.

  "Well, it looks like it was a success," Lenny said. "Your secret ingredient seemed to work," Lenny said, looking at Bliss.

  When experimenting with different formulas, she refused to tell him several times, what she was mixing in at the end, and he was trying his best to get it out of her.

  Suddenly, loud roars could be heard off in the distance, and soon after came in thundering footsteps.

  "I think your guess was right," Harry said, drawing out his sword. "The Shadow, they're coming. Everyone, get ready for battle."

  ****

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