Chapter 7: The Spirit World

Dolan sat in the grass waiting for Edgar to prepare the magic circle. "Do you remember that time you let me shear the gilled sheep?"

Edgar's brow picked up. "Lord above was that a mistake. You butchered that poor animal's sides."

The two looked at eachother and grinned, bursting out in laughter. "What- What about that time you accidentally put frog eyes in our food?"

"Oh god! You know, thinking back it kind of added texture. Hey! What about your screw ups? How about that time you were flailing that yari around and nicked the male boar cow? Hmm? Remember that?"

Dolan slapped the ground. "Stop stop! That was so funny!"

"No! No it was not! I almost died!"

"Died? Aren't you a spirit?"

The pair just giggled and laughed while Edgar continued to set up the circle. "All done. You ready?"

"Yeah. Of course." Dolan said, wiping tears from his eyes. "That felt good. I haven't laughed like that in awhile."

"Well considering what you've been through it's no surprise your sense of humor is gone."

"I could say the same thing about you." Dolan immediately regretted saying those words the moment they left his mouth.

"Haha." Edgar's eyes grew downcast and pointed toward the ground. "But you know. Today I'll finally be able to confront that bastard about all my misfortune." Edgar and Dolan stood side by side as Edgar activated the magic circle. "Once this thing starts to take off, all of this realm will start to be consumed. You ready to go?"

"Man! I'm starting to think you don't wanna go. Yes for the 14th time. I'm ready to go!" Dolan began to tap his foot. Although he was ready to leave, he was anxious of what he was going to find. He had left the palace in a rush, and had blindly trusted Edgar. For a while he had thought he had made a mistake by staying with Edgar, but he realized he wasn't able to leave on his own, and the more Edgar answered his questions, the more he believed him. So now, as the moment of realization came upon him, he began to have doubts once more. But those doubts were erased the moment they stepped into the magic circle.

With a swirling spin of blue energy and a gust of wind, Dolan and Edgar were transported away from their tiny little retreat to the kingdom of the spirits. Upon opening his eyes, Dolan gasped. The pair wasn't transported to the usual place in the palace under the pavilion, but rather in the middle of a destroyed town. Rubble and ruins in every direction. "Wha- What is this?" he said as he picked up some scattered rocks.

With a furious face, Edgar responded. "This is the village of the spirits. This is where the people lived and communed. And this is what the Vulga has reduced it to. Ruble and ash." Edgar continued to spit venom as they walked through the destruction. "That monster. He destroyed everything. Did he have to destroy the village as well? Was consuming the people not enough?" Tears fell from Edgar's eyes as they walked.

Dolan just looked around, unsure of what to say to Edgar. He felt this was a necessary sense of mourning that he must go through. His heart broke at the desecration around him. Houses and shops reduced to nothingness. The place was totally void of life. The scene reminded him of a familiar memory, one he wasn't proud of.

Back when Dolan walked the earth as a prince, he had one goal. Avenge his mother. He took innocent lives. Burned villages and towns. Arrested and ripped apart families, all for the purpose of achieving his goal. The destruction reminded him of a small town he had invaded. Dolan was by no means a great general but he didn't have to be. He never attacked foregin villages or towns. He attacked his own people. He was an enemy to his people. A traitor entrusted to rule over them and protect them. Dolan bent over and picked up a small piece of a potted vessel. "The markings on this. Did a child draw them?"

Through gritted teeth, Edgar explained. "The lives of the people here were very different than that of those on earth. You see, yes we are all spirits, but we still 'exist' if that makes sense. We are called spirits, but we aren't really spirits. We just have power over this realm of the world. We all breathed air. We bled. We got married. We had emotions. We were people, like humans. There are very few creatures on this earth that don't operate in free will. So it's safe to assume that most creatures and beings operate like humans do. It's just a little different. But as for your question, yes. A child did draw that. The adults all had jobs and lives. Most of them their job was to gather souls and sort through them to see where they belonged. But a few managed houses, worked in the palace, prepared food, and the like. There wasn't exactly a school for the children to go to here, so the children were able to just freely do what they wanted. They were encouraged to learn and study but not all of them did. I'm sure whoever did this was just enjoying themselves."

"Wait? Really? Spirits are just like people?"

"You usually are pretty smart and can infer things on your own. I'm surprised you didn't make the connection yourself. Of course. I mean, the spirits that lived here are just spirits of humans."

Dolan perked up. "Then what about the souls of, say, a dragon?"

Edgar pointed out past the destruction toward the endless clouds of white. "Take a look around you. The place we are standing in is the village. Obviously up there" He pointed towards a giant palace sitting on a hill, high above the village. "Is the palace. The village encompasses it. The palace is in the middle. Well outside the village is what we all referred to as the spiritual wilderness. Out there are where the souls of dragons and monsters live. I never ventured out there but that's what I was told."

"I see. That's interesting. Is there a reason no one ever ventured outside the city?"

"Because the king told us not to. He said it was dangerous."

"How can it be dangerous? Wasn't everyone here a soul?"

"Of course. But like I said before, and as you have seen, I still have a physical body. Although that is because I have created a physical representation of my soul. But because I have, it means I can be injured. This physical body is basically my soul. Everyone operated like this here in the soul world. If I encounter a spirit dragon, I assume it can manifest it's body just the same as I can. And I personally don't have the power to kill a dragon."

"I see. But you have the power to kill the Vulga? Wait. Speaking of power. What power do you have? You've always beaten me and acted really strong but you've never told me what your powers are."

"I don't have any. I just know how to swing a sword. I can fight. I'm trained in combat."

"That's lame." Dolan puffed out air making fun of Edgar.

"Haha. Not all of us can have the power of the ancients, mr.devourer."

"I guess." Dolan's shoulders dropped. "I don't even know how to use my power though, or even what it really is." He looked back at Edgar. "That's why I'm hoping you were serious about what you promised me."

"What did I promise you again?"

"Are you kidding!? You told me you would send me to meet another devourer after we kill the Vulga."

"Oh yeah. I remember now. Yeah I can do that."

"You-"

"We're here."

Dolan stopped. Looking up he saw the gigantic steps leading up to the palace. "Isn't that a little over the top?" The palace stood high above the rest of the village. It's foundation was built deep into the top of a mountain, and the village was built in the valley surrounding it. "These stairs are brutal. Couldn't yall have made an elevator?"

"Haha! I'm surprised you know what an elevator is. And no. There isn't electricity here. You know that."

Dolan sighed and grabbed his face. "Ugh. I wish I had never visited the future. I got to see such cool commodities and awesome things that make life way easier. Hey, when you send me to find a devourer, send me to a time in the future when they have cell phones and cars. I wanna see what those do."

Edgar's lips curled. "Almost there."

As soon as the two ascended to the peak, they walked in through the grand doors that guarded the pavilion. "It feels weird to be back."

"I'll second that."

Edgar and Dolan pushed the doors open, and stepped inside. Upon entertaining Dolan saw the same deserted halls he remembered. Before he could walk any further, a short girl with silver hair stopped them, "Mhmm. Excuse me? Can I help you two? I do believe that neither of you are welcome here."

Dolan's chest began to swell. "Emilia!"

Recognition dawned in her eyes. "So you've returned." She said, hopping down from the top of a pillar she was sitting on. "What brings you back so soon?"

"Emilia!" Dolan began to approach her. "Listen. I met a man! He told me all about the Vulga and how-"

Emilia looked back towards Edgar who had his hand on his hip, ready to draw his sword. "Get back Dolan." Edgar said.

Emilia smiled. "I see. So you've stolen our little prince from us." She shook her head back and forth. "That's a crime punishable by death." She bared her fangs.

Dolan's eyes were wide. "Emilia. Please! Just-" Emilia thrust her hand directly through Dolan's stomach.

She pulled her hand out, Dolan's blood dripping down her fingers. "Darling. If you wish to see my king, you're going to have to go through me."