A World With/Out Home

Chapter 36: Breaking through. (Part 3)

It didn't take long for the person to make themselves known. A devil, and from the looks of it one that was relatively young. His skin a standard dark blue for his race, pulled back horns and sporting a pointed tail. The young devil casually walked on top the wall yawning. His yawn immediately broke as he saw the two on the ground.

"H-hey!" he leaned over the wall towards them. "What are you two doing out there? It's dangerous!"

"Damn we got caught," Kyle innocently acted. "We're just looking. It's not like anything is out here."

"You damn kids!" he growled at them. "You should know that monsters come out of the fog. Quick get up here." He disappeared for a short while, returning with a ladder he propped by the wall. "Come on then."

Kyle and Lillia did as they were told and casually reached the top of the wall. Once on top the devil hefted the ladder back up. He was clearly unimpressed, arms folded and eyes glaring.

"You two could have died and worse, if you passed the boundary you might never make it back home! What would your parents think?" he reprimanded them openly. "I understand the feeling of wanting to explore as you get older but by the looks of you, you're barely adults and compared to us devils you've barely been alive."

"Sorry," Kyle replied sheepishly, bowing his head together with Lillia. "We were just curious."

The devil huffed, "It would be a shame if two pretty girls like yourselves disappeared. Now come with me. Although nothing happened you still broke the law."

"W-wait!" Lillia began to plead. "We promise we won't do it again so can't you just let us off with a warning? If our parents found out we'd never be let out again."

"And for good reason too!" the devil stared at them intensely. "But I do get it. Our period of rebellion is three times as long as yours and I made mistakes myself. I'll let you off, but what are your names? If any of us guards catch you again, you won't be so lucky."

"My name is Estile and this is Lav," Kyle answered him.

"Right," the devil nodded. "Estile and Lav. Your parents must like those old tales to name you after the past Heroes." After jotting their names he led them to a set of stairs descending the wall. "Off you go. I don't want to be seeing you around here any longer."

"Thank you sir!" the two bowed in thanks and quickly ran away. Down the staircase they entered the wall proper and found a small lounge with a single table and set of chairs. It was probably a guard room and while there were several places to go, a single door was the clear way out.

"Nicely done," Lillia grinned. "That devil let us in without a hitch.

"Yeah... but honestly now I'm curious." Kyle scratched his head. "He didn't react to us being human at all." He moved to the door, hand postured to open it. "And for a devil he wasn't prideful or condescending at all. What kind of place is behind this door?"

"Now that you say it like that, I'm getting curious as well!" she shuffled. "Devils and humans getting along? Maybe this place is actually some kind of hidden paradise. Though that doesn't feel very Kalvara like does it?"

"Exactly...," Kyle took a deep breath. "All we can do is find out."

He opened the door and as the wind of the outside world welcomed him with a fresh breeze, the true reality of where they had ended up revealed itself. Farmland. Neatly laid and sectioned to make optimal use of the space available, fields of various plants lined row upon row with the occasional road to separate them. Farm animals moved about their paddocks and not far in the distance the edges of a built up town could be seen. Above all it was ordinary. There was no castle or mansion. No slaves or forced labour. At least at a glance there was nothing wrong and the few people they could see working the fields were as well seemingly normal.