Chapter 18: To Frasha

I rubbed my forehead, wincing from the impact. "Ow, okay, okay, I get it!" I muttered, trying to make peace with the floating stick of fury. "That was for Nine!" I added, hoping to calm it down a bit.

"You better! I didn't sign up to be your personal chef!" the staff huffed. "I'm here to be magical and help, not slave away in the kitchen while you nap!"

I sighed. "Well, you didn't exactly leave me much choice. You were the one floating around all excited about cooking, remember?"

"That was before I realized I was dealing with someone who doesn't appreciate a good meal!" it snapped back. "Besides, I was trying to impress Nine, okay? Have you seen that man's body? It has to be fed with nutrition!"

I rubbed my forehead and got up, ignoring the floating staff's ranting that had totally messed up my dream.

-

Time passed, and I ended up staying in Nine's hut with the three most stubborn boys he was training. I was supposed to leave ages ago, but of course, they refused to continue their training without me. And then Tafi—oh, Tafi—decided to throw a tantrum, saying he didn't want to be left with Nine. He claimed Nine was a "scary not-so-old man" who gave them "hellish training," and if I wanted to leave, he'd just follow me.

Rhian and Elliot, being all serious for some reason, kept saying they were training so they wouldn't be a burden on my journey. Like, thanks guys, but also—stop trying to make me feel guilty. And then, of course, Nine had to chime in, saying something about how his youngest son would've been my age if he were still alive.

It was chaotic, to say the least.

Before I knew it, Nine's pantry was completely emptied. We were officially out of food, which could only mean one thing—time for a trip to the Frasha marketplace. I remembered Mr. Denise mentioning that it had become a Garrison now.

Honestly, it had been a few months since then, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Frasha. Hopefully, it wasn't overrun by monsters, or worse, turned into some sort of monster-run fast food joint.

Anyway, as I was packing up, I suddenly had this thought: What if someone recognizes me my hair? So, in a moment of genius (or desperation), I decided to use magic to color my hair and eyes brown. 

I cast the spell, focusing hard on my reflection in the nearest shiny surface. My hair darkened, the color shifting from silver to a soft brown, and my eyes followed suit, turning a warm shade of brown. I looked... pretty normal.

"Well, this is a lot better," I muttered to myself, feeling somewhat proud of my magical makeover.

As I stepped out of my room, Tafi was the first to notice the change. His ears perked up, and he squinted at me with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Wait... Anya?" Tafi asked, his playful demeanor replaced with genuine surprise. "You look... different. Your hair's brown now? And your eyes?" He sniffed the air, clearly trying to figure out how I had done it. "Did you... dye it or something?"

"Yeah, just a little magic," I said with a shrug, trying to act casual even though I was feeling pretty good about the result. "I thought it might be a good idea since we're heading to Frasha. Keeps things lowkey."

"Looks good," he said with a smile.

Rhian, who had been adjusting the carriage, overheard and turned around. "Tafi's right," he said. "You look like someone who can blend in a crowd now. I think it suits you."

Eli, who had been quietly going through the supplies, looked up and raised an eyebrow at my new look. "Yeah, it's subtle," he said. "But it works. You blend in better now."

I smiled. "I thought so too."

Tafi gave me a thumbs-up, clearly pleased.

"Anya, could you help me with something?" Rhian asked, looking a little uncomfortable.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

He hesitated for a second. "I was wondering if you could help me hide my hair and ears too. I think I'd blend in better if I did."

I nodded, focusing on my magic to adjust his appearance. I changed his hair to a more neutral brown and adjusted his ears so they looked more typical. When I finished, I stepped back and looked at him.

"You're good to go," I said.

Rhian ran a hand through his hair. "Thanks, Anya. It's better now."

Nine appeared, holding the staff that was still asleep in his hands. "Anya, what do I do with this?"

"Give it to me," I said, reaching for it.

We were busy packing for the journey to Frasha, so I walked over to the carriage where Tafi was rearranging the space to make room.

"Uhm, Tafi, what's all this?" I asked, opening the carriage door. Inside, a pile of stuff had formed a barrier in the middle, dividing the space into two halves.

Tafi puffed out his chest, looking proud. "I was told by my mother that girls and boys should never share a room!" he said.

That made sense, but why was one side so much bigger than the other? I figured I'd just go with the smaller side, since I'd be the only one on that half.

Before I could walk over to it, Tafi tugged on my robe sleeve.

"This side is yours, Lady Anya," he said, pointing to the larger side.

"But wouldn't it be more convenient for the four of you to stay on that side?" I asked, pointing to the bigger space.

Tafi shook his head. "I'll be on the roof. One person will be driving, so only two people will be staying on this side," he explained, looking pleased with his plan.

That made sense, so I nodded, and Tafi beamed, clearly happy I approved.

"I'll drive till tonight, then we'll switch," Rhian said, glancing at Elliot, who was still fussing with his robe.

"So, where should we camp?" Elliot asked, looking up.

Rhian shrugged. "We'll just camp wherever," he said, looking casual.

Elliot frowned. "No plan at all? Just anywhere?"

Rhian smiled. "Yep. It'll be an adventure. If we get lost, that's part of the fun."

Elliot sighed.

Tafi, now perched on the roof, called down, "Don't worry, I'll make sure we find a good spot. I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

I glanced up at him. "You sure about that?"

Tafi puffed out his chest confidently. "I'm sure. I'm a great lookout."

I just smiled and nodded, not bothering to comment.

--

It had been a week since we set off, and the air was getting dry and hot as we traveled along the path toward Frasha, or what used to be Frasha.

Now, we were at the edge of the forest, and beyond us stretched a vast desert. The ground was littered with the remains of both monsters and humans, their decayed bodies scattered about, while scavenger monsters and desert creatures feasted on what was left of them. The sight was grim.

"Ugh," Tafi was the first to cover his nose, his sensitive beast folk senses picking up the stench of death in the air.

"Only a few months of battle turned the desert into this..." Nine murmured as he touched the sand, his eyes scanning the decaying bodies scattered across the landscape. His appearance had shifted back to that of the old man he was when I first met him—weak, tired, and much smaller than his original form.

"How come the flood of monsters never ends? Shouldn't they be extinct by now? Or shouldn't Frasha have collapsed by now?" Rhian piped up, clearly bothered by the never-ending threat of the monsters.

He had a point. I couldn't help but wonder the same thing—why was the monster flood still going strong?

"Should we head out, or wait until nightfall?" Tafi asked, still holding his nose in disgust.

"We should head out. Night in the desert is way too dangerous," I said, sounding like I knew what I was talking about. Honestly, I just remembered something from a TV show I watched back on Earth. But hey, it sounded smart!

Nine gave a small nod, agreeing with my suggestion, and so we continued our journey.

Before long, the gates of Frasha came into view. Just as I expected, they were overrun by thousands of monsters, with archers stationed above the gate shooting flaming arrows into the horde. The monsters were climbing the stone walls like a scene straight out of some zombie movie I remembered from Earth.

"Great. So, this is Frasha now, huh?" Rhian said, sounding a bit sarcastic as he watched the chaotic scene unfold in front of us.

Nine glanced over at us, his frail form slowly transforming exuding an air of authority. "We fight. But be ready for anything."

Tafi, perched on the roof of the carriage, gave an enthusiastic little growl. "Leave it to me! I'll make sure no monster gets past me!"

Rhian looked up at him, deadpan. "Uh-huh. Sure, buddy. Just try not to get eaten, okay?"

Tafi flicked his tail confidently. "I'm practically invincible!"

We all exchanged skeptical looks. 

The carriage we were riding in gleamed with gold and silver under the hot sun, catching the attention of both the people on the walls and the monsters below. And it wasn't just the humans who were staring—no, the monsters were getting curious too.

In no time, nearly half the horde turned and started charging straight for our carriage. My grip tightened around the still-sleeping staff as I mentally scrambled for a spell that could help us out of this mess. But just as I was about to act, Nine stopped me with a gentle but firm hand on my arm.

"Don't do anything rash. With this many monsters, you'll only waste your mana," Nine said firmly, so I lowered the staff without a word.

"Rhian, Eli, Tafi. Remember the area attacks I taught you? It's time to put them to the test. Show me what you've learned," Nine said, gesturing at the horde that was getting closer by the second.

The three of them just stared at Nine, completely caught off guard by the sudden instruction.

This should be interesting. I couldn't help but be confused, though. How had Rhian still not unlocked his aura ability from the God of Vengeance? Wait... did he even make a contract with the God of Vengeance? Now that I think about it, the whole berserk incident in the auction house hadn't happened in this timeline. I was a bit lost now. What exactly were his abilities? I'd messed with things, so maybe that was the reason for the delay. But I hoped that by doing this, his growth wouldn't be held up any longer.

Rhian pulled out the sword that Nine had lent him, looking a little unsure, like he was suddenly questioning his decision to take swordsmanship lessons. Eli, on the other hand, smoothly grabbed a bow and started creating arrows out of thin air. They'd figured out he had an insane talent with bows, much more than with swords, so now he looked like he was about to start an archery competition, not battle monsters.

Tafi, who had been on the roof, immediately heard Nine's words and, without missing a beat, transformed into his berserk form—a very cute and adorable baby tiger. In this form, his claws could probably rip through metal, and his movements were ridiculously fast. Tafi had been working hard on his berserk form, though, and could now hold it for a solid three hours without turning back.

"Do your best! Remember, I'll know if you slack off!" Nine's voice rang out as he stood watching them, his usual stern tone carrying a hint of a challenge.

The three of them gulped, feeling the pressure like they were about to step into an exam they hadn't studied for. Rhian glanced at his sword again, Eli fiddled with his arrows like they might suddenly come to life and run off, and Tafi, still looking like a fluffy kitten, stretched his claws with a proud "meow." They all nervously glanced at the horde of monsters advancing, knowing they were about to face Nine's ultimate "training session."

I couldn't help but chuckle at how nervous they were. Even Nine looked like he was suppressing a smirk, watching them squirm under his expectations.

-

I felt someone's gaze on us, and without hesitation, I activated my Dragon eyes. Scanning the surroundings, my vision sharpened, and I spotted a man on one of the watch towers in Frasha. He was holding binoculars and staring directly at us. The moment our eyes met, his expression shifted from surprise to a wide grin. Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared, as if vanishing into thin air.

"Anya, look out!!!" Nine suddenly shouted, his voice urgent as he rushed to shield me with his broad back.

Even though Nine's large frame was blocking most of my view, I could still see through the gaps, and there, standing in front of us, was a man. He was thin unlike when I first saw him, wearing baggy armor and a sword at his waist. His posture was relaxed, but there was a sharpness in his gaze.

Despite the changes in my appearance, the man didn't seem fooled. He crossed his arms and gave me a knowing smile. "Despite the different hair and eyes, I can still recognize you," he said cheerfully. "I searched the entire forest for you, but when I couldn't find you, I assumed you'd been eaten by monsters or something." His deep voice was warm, and the smile on his face felt strangely familiar.

"Who are you?!" Nine growled, clearly irritated by the sudden appearance of this uninvited man. His stance was defensive, and I could sense the tension building.

I placed a hand on Nine's shoulder to calm him and stepped out from behind him.

"It's been a while, Sir Denise," I said with a slight smile, recognizing the man's face now that I could see him more clearly.