A World With/Out Home

Chapter 4: The World as they knew it. (Part 1)

Chapter 4: The World as they knew it.

"So this is the fog," Kyle stood only a few metres away from the border of their world. As if an invisible plane of glass was in place the fog spiralled on the other side, constantly moving and shifting, the white and grey spun around forming strange patterns but never moving closer.

"I heard it gets thinner the further you go," Lillia said beside him. "The first dozen metres you can barely see anything but after that.... I wonder what it's like."

"Should we find out?" Kyle joked.

"I would be fine but you'd definitely die," Lillia replied. If it weren't for the smirk on her lips Kyle would have thought she was serious, then again she was. "There are monsters in there that are apparently stronger than demons."

"And suddenly I want to go back to the truck."

Lillia giggled, "Well it looks like Bethial needs us anyway."

Not far from where the two stood was a semi-permanent campsite. Large tents had been set up forming a village of sorts. The amount of people working there was probably even more than the population of Tomph. Adults ranging from the young and fresh to the old and wizened, each of them the brave few who dared to travel into the fog.

They made their way back to the Captain who was talking to the leader of the Campsite. Although short in stature and wrinkled with age the women had a commanding presence that even outstripped the Captain.

"This is it," her voice was raspy and filled with a worker's edge. "I always save the best for the Hero's Guard." She smacked her hand against a strange looking machine.

Valandus raised his brows behind the Captain, "What is it?"

"Tch," the women shook her head disappointed. "Can't even tell? It's a-."

"Mana furnace," Kyle's mumble interrupted her as he realised what it was.

The older women's eyes lit up in interest as she turned to look at him, "Oh you know what this is girl?"

"Boy," Kyle replied feeling the mental wound. Lillia almost laughed out loud.

"Oh- you reminded me of myself when I was young," the lady laughed. "But could you really tell what this was?"

The Captain as well was curious, "You've seen one before Kyle?"

"Um no- I mean well I think I saw it in a book before," he lied. The truth of the matter was that he had seen it in his dreams. It was the same machine Estile had used, although they never said what it was in his dream, he knew its name.

The women nodded in interest, "Must have been a rare book. This thing here is a real beauty. Strange thing is we found it in the middle of nowhere. No town or city in sight."

"Wait you found this out there?" Kyle pointed to the fog.

"Of course we did," she laughed. "This your first time seeing a Sweeper Crew?"

"I've never been so close to the fog before so yes."

She looked at Bethial, "The Hero's Guard are really hiring wide now aren't they."

The Captain quickly went to fix her misunderstanding, "Kyle isn't an official member. He's a baker and working as support."

"Then I best introduce myself properly," the older women offered her hand and Kyle shook it. Her grip was stronger than he expected as he was almost pulled forward. "Lady Petunia Marigold. I run this crew and have for the past forty odd years."