Level Up?

Dain was not at all pleased by Zephyr using what honour he had against him in an attempt to enlist him as a navigator and gain insights about the land and the creatures within it. They rode in absolute silence for the next two days, with Zephyr, who typically spoke little, finding himself outmatched in reticence by Dain. It seemed plausible that Dain simply harboured an aversion towards him.

Ah well. He wasn't looking for a friend. Just some guidance.

Along their journey, they'd camped outside, using the small supplies Zephyr managed to steal. Now, sitting in front of a small fire, any worry he had over those humans discovering them and dragging them back to the empire faded.

The wind rustled in the nearby trees while the horse grazing on the nearby grass plopped down to also rest. The night sky was silent, the stars so bright Zephyr couldn't help but gaze at them all the time.

In his first life, he lived in an urban jungle with tall buildings, concrete structures and busy streets. The only twinkling stars tended to be aeroplanes and city lights, or there was a smog of pollution covering everything. Yet here, everything was so crystal clear, the air crisp, with the only plumes of fog from breathing. 

Zephyr presumed they were going north, returning to the mountainside. The gradual temperature drop made that apparent. But it was hard to discern where exactly they were without a map and seeing only fields and nearby forests.

Zephyr's eyes darted towards Dain's, a sudden realisation dawning on him. He had assumed that Dain possessed a sense of honour and would maintain the pretence of being his guide. However, he also acknowledged the possibility that Dain could also screw him over.

"Where are we?" He asked, observing the Slinktail across the dancing flames of the fire. 

Dain's eyes slowly moved from the fire and met his. His gaze held briefly before flicking back to the fire. Seconds flew by in silence until Zephyr gave up waiting for an answer.

"I understand you do not like me. But I shared my supplies with you. The least you can do is share your knowledge." Zephyr played with the grass he ripped from the ground and tossed it into the fire. 

Before Dain could answer, a blood-curdling, petrified scream reverberated from a vast distance behind Zephyr. The spine-chilling wail pierced the air, conjuring Zephyr's imagination to run wild, wondering what could cause such a sound. The unnerving noise lingered, followed by other cries and pleas, leaving Zephyr paralysed to the spot. 

The evening sky behind him was cast with red and black fumes, meeting the inky canopy and creating a murky red canvas. It lit up occasionally to the sound of gunfire. The wind then picked up, drowning out the dying cries.

Zephyr turned back to Dain in alarm. However, the Slinktail was now on his back, eyes closed, unaffected by the screams and events occurring not too far from them. It was as though those cries were like a lullaby or white noise sending him to sleep. They were demons, so that didn't hold much of a shock factor for Zephyr. 

"What is that noise?" Zephyr questioned; his voice dropped to a whisper. If something was nearby that could cause them harm, he was sure even whispering wouldn't save them by this point.

Dain shrugged. "Feeding time. Who knows. Not sure where they found the gun. It's making quite the racket."

Zephyr watched him for a moment, wondering why he was so at ease. "Are you not worried?"

"Why would I be? Vamps don't drink demon blood. They're also obviously distracted."

"Vamps? As in… Vampires? Are we in their land?"

"I'm not daft, boy," Dain tutted while Zephyr stared at the other Slinktail, questioning how old Dain was. He didn't sound much older than him? Who knew? They all looked the same! "I wouldn't take us through Shadowmere. If I did, we wouldn't last an hour."

So, vampires don't feed from demons, but they don't like them either. "What makes you say that? And if we aren't in Shadowme...?"

"Shadowmere," Dain corrected with a scoff.

"Then where are we?" Zephyr finished, ignoring his attitude. 

Dain sighed, turning onto his side, tail swishing back in what Zephyr presumed was agitation or annoyance. His tail didn't really do much, and he found it utterly pointless to have.

"Why are you asking simple questions? I do not take you for a simple-minded demon," Dain sighed, eyes narrowing at him. "Not after that escape."

Damn. What should he say? Zephyr didn't think this far ahead. If he told Dain he'd died and awakened in this Slinktail's body and new world, the guy would deem him nuts! Come on, Zephyr, think!

"I lost my memories," he blurted out. 

Wait, that was a good answer., right?

So why was Dain looking at him like that?

"You lost your memories…" he drawled, not sounding convinced.

"Yes. Just before I was taken, I was beaten up so badly by Alkazar, a level 3, and hit my head so hard that I forgot about most things. I just remember the basics. My name, age, and what we are," Zephyr explained; already, he was beginning to feel like it wasn't the most ingenious idea to trust Dain with this information.

Surprisingly, the demon laid back down and told him what he wanted to know. "We're near the border between Iron Hold kingdom and Shadowmere, northeast of the Valorian Empire. It is off route and not the same path we travelled across with those human scum."

Zephyr knew about the northern kingdoms at least and had a rough idea of where Shadowmere was. The cries in the distance began to fade, allowing Zephyr to focus truly on his thoughts. Sticking with this guy was a good idea, though, with his carelessness, he now had to keep his guard up more. Dain could use his lack of memories to his advantage now. 

While the Slinktail was feeling nice, Zephyr asked him what he really wanted to know. "Can you level up?"

"Level up?" Dain asked with a long sigh, uncaring and aggravated by his question whilst continuing to stare at the stars. 

"Yes. Level up. I don't want to be weak or rely on anyone," Zephyr said through gritted, sharp teeth. He hadn't relied on anyone in his past life, and he was weak. The only person he opened up to used him and stabbed him in the back. Zephyr glared into the fire, hissing, "I won't rely on others."

"Alright…" Dain whistled. "You had it rough in your last gang, huh? Well, all Slinktails have it bad. You can become a level 3 Draegorth, but it takes years. Have you seen their size, strength, and power? Most level 3s can fight or rely purely on their strength and intimidation in their gangs." 

Draegorth, that was what Alkazar was! Zephyr was pretty sure that the busted-up, ogre-looking demon in the cart was also a Draegorth. Perhaps those humans were lucky to injure him without killing him. Unlike the Slinktails, the Draegorth had distinctive appearances, but all were large creatures that couldn't walk among human towns without being driven off by gunfire or other weaponry.

"You want to become a level 3?" Dain asked, continuing the conversation. This was the most they'd spoken to each other. Zephyr didn't answer him, but his silence, coupled with his earlier remark, already conveyed his answer.

"I've been trying for a hundred years, kid. Good luck," he sneered.