The Partnership

Toga made it to the west end of Fahragon. The city was surrounded by a wall with barracks on each side of the gate. It looked fortified to keep the demons out. It was so tall, Toga had to look up just to see the top.

As he neared the exit, there was a man leaning on the wall with his eyes closed. He was wearing the garb of the Red Dogs and a cottontail hanging out of his mouth.

His accessories looked out of place. He's never seen a priest dressed weirdly. It didn't match at all. His silence and indifference to the world clearly showed he didn't care.

He walked up to the man. "Are you the guy I'm partnered with for this mission?" Toga asked.

The guy opened one of his eyes. He stared at Toga for a few seconds before tilting his head back down. His hat now hiding his face.

Toga looked back and forth. Was this really the guy? Could it have been somebody else? He didn't seem too keen on telling him. Maybe he was just guarding the gate. Was the guy he looking for in the barracks?

"So you're the guy I'm dealing with huhh? I get it. They want me to see how you function out there." The priest said.

"Wait… so you are the guy I'm looking for?" Toga asked.

"That would be me. Though helping you isn't my primary job out there. Letting you know right now, you get into trouble, you're on your own, at least so far as in the bandits. We run into any demons out there, I'll kill em myself." He yawned.

"Oh, ok… My name is Toga Dawn…"

"I know your name. You think they'd send me down here with a specific goal and nobody told me?" The priest asked.

"Sorry about that. Guess I'm not used to being so famous."

Toga was starting to see the con side of having Ryuma's position. It was as if everybody knew who he was no matter where he went. Being incognito was almost impossible.

"May I have your name?" Toga asked.

The priest got up off the wall. "You don't need to know my name. All you need to worry about is completing the mission."

Toga got to see more of his face now that he wasn't staring towards the ground anymore. He had shoulder length, black hair that spiked downwards. There was some stubble on his face, and his eyes couldn't look more tired if he wanted them to.

"Ok… I get what you mean, but how is it I'm supposed to address you?" Toga asked.

"That's simple. You address me with 'Hey,' or 'You' or 'Hey You'" The man said.

A vein popped into his forehead. Was this guy dead set on not collaborating with him, like, at all? He could at least tell him his name. He'd think that would make it more convenient with communication.

He pounded his fist on the side of the wall. "Open the gates!" He commanded.

After a brief pause, the sound of chains moving, then the clanking sound of the gate ascending. It was a loud noise that echoed all around them.

The priest began walking outside of the gate before it even made it all the way to the top. Toga followed. "If you're not going to tell me your name, at least tell me where we are going." There was nothing but hard dirt out there.

"You should already know. We spotted their hideout, so we'll be going there asap."

"I meant the direction. Everything looks the same out here." Toga said.

"Which is why you need to spend more time in Loil territory. You should acclimate yourself in the environment in which you are duty bound to protect."

His stupid self didn't even bother to ask the man who this contact was supposed to be. He sighed.

They've been travelling a while now and nothings popped up. "Are there even demons in this desolate territory for us to be hunting?" Toga asked.

"Environment is not a factor to demons. They can survive anywhere. What were they even teaching you in that bumpkin of an area?" The priest asked.

"Hmm… would you like to know more about Rebble?" Toga asked.

"Not really. Our first priority should always be the mission. There's no time for a priest to be engaging in gossip about another territory. We deal with our own first."

This man seemed a little on the uptight side, but it looked like he meant well. His priority was getting the mission done despite how lazily he carried himself.

"And you don't care how I decide to do things?" Toga asked.

"For the most part yes, but at the same time, I'll be the one fixing any of your mistakes. The God's know how badly Rebble area has worsened you.

"Don't worry about that. I'd say Rebble has done an excellent job at getting me up to par with the other students.

The priest looked away. "Tch, Whatever. As long as you don't flub this. The Skylands is waiting to see how you're capable of taking down the shining spirit of the White Dragons."

{Are they grooming me to fight him?}

That didn't make much sense. The other two shining spirits were further ahead in experience than he was. If they wanted him dead to another shining spirit, it would be safer to use one of them.

The two set out.

In this region there were no trail to follow. No matter the marks left, it was often erased with the shifting of the sands blown by the wind. Toga looked up. He wished he would have dressed for the occasion. He couldn't understand how it could be so hot here when the clouds covered everything above Streissand. No body down here could even see how bright it was.

"Is there a reason for the lack of greenery?" Toga asked.

"It's because it doesn't rain on this side of the map. I'd advise you to get used to it." The priest said.

"Rain?" Toga wondered about that. Did he mean when water falls out the sky? Rain was something he's never seen in his life. He lived above the clouds is whole life and couldn't picture what it looked like. Did it just pour out like a waterfall, or did it just splash out in turns? It truly felt like he stepped into a whole other world with the things he was going to have to get used to.

"So even if I'm down here, I still won't be able to see it." Toga said.

"Not necessarily… This may be a desert, but even deserts can have rain once in a blue moon. You may see it yet." The priest said.

While he was down here, there was a ton of things he's heard about that he thought he should give a try. The endless body of water called the ocean. The cold patch of white called snow. He's heard about them from others, but the thought of experiencing any of them had never crossed his mind. He was supposed to join the sentry after all.

A day and a night had passed

Fully rested, they set off again. This guy wasn't much for conversation. He wouldn't say anything unless it was to answer a question. He couldn't even make small talk with him.

"Stay still." The priest ordered.

Toga did as he was told and stood still. The priest put his head low to the ground and listened for something. It was silent… too silent for Toga's comfort.

"Spirit diggers!" The priest shouted.

Both reacted by jumping out of the spot they were in. A worm like creature launched itself snapping its many rows of teeth shut hoping to have caught some prey.

Toga couldn't explain it. They didn't necessarily dig into the ground, but whenever their faces connected with the surface, it would disappear into another plane of existence.

"Demons." Toga said.

"Back off. Leave this to me." The priest said.

"I thought you were here to watch me?" Toga said.

"Yeah, with your mission. These aren't your mission."

Toga sighed but did as he said. There were three worms in total coming in and out of its wormhole. The priest summoned his great axe. It was a weapon similar to Togas, at least with its size.

The priest eyes looked back and forth. It was as though he was studying their patterns. The edge of his axe's blade began to glow hot red. It was lighting so bright; Toga could see the heatwaves emanating off it.

{So this was a proper priest}

Another worm burst from underneath the priests' feet. He timed a perfect spin to where he not only dodged but sliced down and letting his axe cutting it open like melted butter. There were only two more left. Toga stood perfectly still. If he didn't move at all, maybe it wouldn't sense his movements.

"It can sense your heartbeat." The priest said.

Toga had to dodge the next strike from the worm popping out of the ground. The travelling priest was immediately on it, cleaving it in halve.

He dispersed his weapon away convinced those two were the last of it. "Careful now. We don't know how many of them things are out there."