TO GRIMCLOUD

Aristo, Lance, and the 7th Division galloped through the vast grass plain toward the Grimcloud Forest. As they journeyed through the field, a thundering sound from their far left distracted them.

They all turned their heads as they rode through the plain and looked to the sky to their distance turning crimson. From the red heaven came down a fiery tornado that engulfed the faraway land below.

The criminals were in awe of what they were seeing.

"What in the goddesses' names is that?!" wondered one of the lowlifes.

"That sits directly south of Grimcloud." told Lance eyeing the fire tornado. "It's where Prince Cedric is assigned."

"THE FIRST PRINCE CREATED THAT TORNADO?!"

"No. As far as I know, Cedric is not capable of casting magic spells." replied Aristo. "It's likely the doing of the mage accompanying him."

"Your Highness, that means Prince Cedric has begun his march toward Grimcloud." said Lance. "The fact that his mage is casting a large offensive spell also means they've encountered the monsters on their part of the forest."

"Which means we'll soon meet ours as well." said Aristo. He then drew his sword and looked to his army. "Ready your weapons, men!"

Aristo and his forces rode on through the plain. They soon saw a huge wall of white fog extending along their horizon. Once they got closer, the chilly and wet feeling from the fog made it turned out to be more akin to mist.

The foggy barricade blocked any vision beyond it, preventing Aristo from seeing the Grimcloud Forest behind it. Lieutenant Hobbs was right about making haste to the forest before the white mist extended further, for one could not see anything inside it and could risk being lost in its white perpetuity.

"Slow your pace!" ordered Aristo as they approached the mist wall.

Instead of galloping, the horses were now slowed to walking pace. Aristo and his army carefully made their way toward the wall of mist beyond them, knowing very well what danger lied ahead.

As they neared the wall, Aristo and his men could hear disturbing sinister inhuman laughs. It was so disturbing that they immediately stopped on their tracks.

The sound did not come from any of the men, but from the wall, beyond the white mist. From those that lurked within.

Aristo and his army looked toward the white mist with dread. They knew the monsters were already lying in wait for them inside, waiting to pounce and feast on their flesh.

Before all of his men could be overcome with fear, Aristo raised his sword and commanded his army.

"Let's proceed!"

With the Doomed Prince leading the front, the Second Prince's army charged inside the ominous white mist. Once inside, Aristo and his men's surroundings immediately turned white. The mist was so thick that they could barely make up the person next to them.

"Stay on this path! Don't make any turn so you don't stray away from the party and get lost within the mist!" ordered Aristo. "If we keep going this way, we'll soon reach the valley!"

The 7th Division heeded to Aristo's words. Even though they were criminals who had done terrible deeds, they too thought it was wise to stick together rather than wandering off on their own. They simply were not brave enough to face the dangers that lied within the white zone around them.

They slowly rode on and on, ever-presently approaching Grimcloud Forest. Everything was quiet. Nothing seemed to be disturbing Aristo and his men.

The stillness, of course, was unsettling to them. They simply could not shake off the feeling that something was out there. Watching them. Waiting for them to lose their guards.

Aristo, Lance, and the 7th Division kept their wits about them. They kept their grasp on their weapons firm and made sure their senses ready to capture any disturbance.

They all did just that till they reached the valley. Aristo and his men successfully reached the edge of Grimcloud without harm.

"We made it, men!" announced Aristo. "But remain vigilant! It will only get more dangerous from here on!"

The Doomed Prince and his army proceeded into the valley. Though they had changed location, the scenery barely changed. Their surroundings were still covered with thick white mist, causing them to see barely anything. The only difference now was that they could occasionally make out the huge slopes of the valley towering on their sides.

Just like before, everything was still and quiet and as unsettling as before. Since the silent episode had gone on for quite a while, some of the men began to wonder if there were actually monsters in the mist with them and that the laughter they heard was nothing but a hallucination of some sort.

It was then that they were proven wrong.

Huge rumbling sounds were suddenly heard throughout the valley. Aristo and his forces immediately looked around to see what was causing it.

"THERE!" one of the criminal pointed up to the slope.

Rolling down from above was a huge boulder. One that could crush ten people and horses at once. It was heading toward the center of the procession.

"EVERYONE, DISPERSE!" ordered Aristo urgently.

The 7th Division's men then flicked and pulled the reins of their horses. Some urged their mount to rush forward, some urged theirs to run backward. All so they could avoid the incoming boulder.

Crash.

The boulder landed in the middle of the Doomed Prince's army procession. Fortunately, no one was hurt. But the party had been split into two.

"Those in the back, hurry get around the boulder and join us in the front." ordered Aristo. "It's dangerous for us to be separated like this!"

Just as the Second Prince relayed his order, another boulder rolled down to the front of the party. Blocking their path ahead.

"DEAR GODDESSES!"

Aristo and his men in the front then began to pull back to avoid the new boulder, they intended to join their rest of the party in the back. But it was right around then that a third boulder slid down the slope and blocked the rear end of the procession.

"WE'RE TRAPPED!" shouted Lance.

Right at that moment, the sinister laughs Aristo and his men heard before entering the mist returned. This time, the disturbing sounds came from all around them. The laughs were so deafening and sickening. No peaceful creature was creating those sounds.

"THE MONSTERS! THEY'RE HERE!" shouted one of the criminals. "THEY'VE COME FOR OUR LIV—!!"

Before the lowlife could finish his word, his head was swiftly cleaved off of his shoulders by an invisible force, causing the head to proceed on falling to and rolling on the ground. His body remained saddled on his mount, spouting blood everywhere from the neck point.