After two days of slowly drifting around the Arian River and towards the edges and beginnings of the Brown Sea, the Tributals took long breaks for minute little things such as breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, dinner and even supper. Then, they slept for eight hours, as per usual for the Tributal cycle.

This was, partly, the reason why the Tributals set out days before the Star Cave Troupe, as some members of the Demonear Council deducted that possibility, and they weren't far from the truth.

When the morning rose, and the mist surrounded the boat, the troupe was well on its way to the sinkhole in Lot Thúrum. They ate their breakfast in relative silence, sometimes mentioning news around Magna or the entire country of Malikan, but in any other case, the Tributals sat in silence and did the things they were supposed to do.

It was finally on the third day that they decided to drop most of the rowing they had done at first and let the boat carry itself with the wind. Rowan sat near the edge, looking into the monotonous grey water, seldom broken by rocks or fish jumping above the said stones, and the other Tributals either laid on the cloth inside or added smaller meals in-between the ones they had together ...or did the same thing Rowan did.

It was boring, even though Damien took a card game most Tributals liked, they rarely found the motivation to search for their backpacks hidden in an inside compartment.

The four could feel the growing tension, and it seemed that it wasn't their personalities which affected this entire dilemma. The atmosphere was rather heavy from the beginning, and things inside the boat weren't going as smoothly and fast as predicted.

Rowan sighed, before turning around, and Ace finally walked out of the small floor with beds. Their eyes met, and Rowan glanced at the waters once more.

"It's a bit awkward, isn't it?" Ace muttered, cracking a smile.

"Don't mind me," Rowan answered, extending their hand, barely feeling the water grace their fingers.

"Yeah, sure." Ace didn't want to admit that Rowan was a big part of the problem. "It's a job like any other, after all."

They sat down next to Rowan, who moved away.

"...and it's natural that even as a team everyone keeps to themselves." they lied. "But through moments of complete boredom like this, why don't we talk a little? Like, during breakfast." Ace smiled.

"Okay," Rowan uttered, not paying attention. "Then what do you want to talk about?"

"Um." Ace scratched their chin. "I don't know, how about you start?!" they kept a light beam on their face while Rowan looked sour. One eye of the Demonear turned to the other Tributal, and they sighed, sitting straight and still.

"How about all of this, Ace? Don't you think it's a little ridiculous?" Rowan asked, putting their hands on their lap.

Ace sighed. "No, not really?" they scoured back. "I mean."

"Think about it." Rowan looked up. "We're going to Morta."

"Kashmir said we're not to step on the land even if everything fails. We even have those fireworks we can send to the troupe if things go astray!"

"...and we hear their screams? I don't think so. How are we supposed to know in the first place? This is pointless."

"Well, I do admit that an Eran probably doesn't have the best intuition when it comes to topics like these, but at the same time, we know what we Tributals are capable of!"

Rowan didn't answer, staring into the grey abyss extending in the front, and Ace glanced down, a bit annoyed and hopeless. The smile disappeared, turning into a frown.

"But then again... if there was one wish One could fulfil, I'd ask it to take me back home." Ace stared up into the sky.

Rowan glimpsed at Ace. "Why?"

"We're in the same boat, aren't we? Deep inside, I'd rather be protecting the Nuil's castle all day than sit on a boat and wait for unclear signals." they shook their head. "The stress of such an important task pinches my neck. It's a great responsibility."

"No," Rowan answered. "It's not. I'd rather be there." they pointed. "With them, in those caves."

Ace blinked a few times, grinding their teeth, but trying to keep their composure.

"I'm a Demonear too for One's sake."

"Ambrosia is just as strong as you," Ace explained.

"Yes, exactly. So why couldn't they be the one sitting in this stupid boat drifting over boring, misty seas? This argument doesn't make any sense. It works both ways!" Rowan raised their voice.

Ace scratched their forehead, fixing the hat on their head and slowly backed out towards the other side of the boat. Rowan took notice but didn't seem to care that much either.

"This isn't jealousy, Ace," Rowan uttered. "I just... never mind."

"Are we the problem now?" Ace answered, in a low and monotone voice.

"No, just..." Rowan sighed. "I'd rather they weren't involved in the first place."

...and no other word was uttered in the next hour. Ace thought of quenching Rowan's curiosity but ultimately concluded that whatever they'd say, wouldn't satisfy the other party, who only kept searching for problems, despite nothing happening. It seemed that Rowan's boggled mind frustrated itself over the sheer possibility of things not having an explanation, and that affected those nearby if they were smarter than Atomu or Chyuuichi.

But in general, most would say, despite things going wrong and right, Rowan seemed a pretty angry Tributal, while most were thought to be somewhat laid back, despite the rumours.

***

From that point onwards, the troupe had no other path to follow except to tread forward and into the unknown harshness of the Mirillis caves. Chyuuichi's words of encouragement and vivid descriptions of the things awaiting them surely enough didn't bring comfort to their stress, unsurprisingly, some were even more anxious than before.

Nonetheless, they advanced, reaching a rather tight corridor closing in from above, with unrecognizable long crystals hanging from the ceiling, which led to some of the taller ones to duck their heads down, and Elton even had to get off his horse for things to work for quite a little while. Then it opened up, and Bancho, almost as if in a race with Chyuuichi when it came to explanations, realized the true nature of the place they found themselves in.

Such were called river corridors, which were naturally formed spaces under rivers to balance out the pressure of the water from above. It was an old tale, described in very ancient books that Bancho mentioned with names from authors most never heard of, dating back to the first days of 3 A.F.W.

Back then the entire world was concerned with the natural and stunning beauty of Errarion, and things only faded out afterwards. Anyways, Chyuuichi added that the crystals which brought Elton so much trouble were none other than frozen stream water, stoned-in through all the density travelling in the air, which most admitted to having the discomfort of experiencing.

Mirillians were quite used to this, though, and even found uses after a while. The lower they went, the heavier the pressure, so naturally, they left liquids which turned into solid materials, and some were used for the grandeur of buildings in Soban, which Chyuuichi hasn't failed to mention.

After the river cave ended, the sense of adventure was carried by the sounds of a nearby waterfall, which Morio immediately pointed out, in great excitement. The path to the right was clear, but in front of them stood a massive wall of water separating the two parts of the cavern, and they were forced to take the roundabout way. The exit out of this open space was exactly on the other side of the entrance, but then again, this gave them time to appreciate the natural beauty.

Ambrosia stuck their hand into the water for a little, feeling its cold rush against their skin, and following into the next cave, again, they were met with another waterfall, much bigger and now visible in its full glory with the setting sun peaking through the clumped rocks above the source. They followed a path above a pool of water, erected out from sturdy, dark rocks, and Chyuuichi finally recognized the place they were in.

Near Soban, there was a big set of waterfalls, with winding paths in the front and behind, the pools below even led to massive streams that carried into the river that flew through Malikan, which Bancho thought to be quite neat.

Some Mirillians believed that somewhere behind those massive waterfalls hid a treasure waiting to be discovered, but the efforts to advance in that direction were never there.

As Chyuuichi mentioned, Soban wasn't far, so the Mirillian forced the others to keep up with his evergrowing speed and excitement.

After a few twists and turns, another night spent sleeping on the sturdy ground (and lots of Paladian complaints) the sounds of the waterfalls faded behind the walls, and some new ones were muffled, otherwise still nearby.

"Ah!" Chyuuichi gasped, and his voice echoed around the dark blue rocks leading down towards... "Soban!" he yelled out, smiling. "There it is! The home of Mirillians!"

"Behind that door?" Bancho asked, slowing down Pearl with his hand, looking at the dark and thick gates with a mirrored palace etched down the middle.

"Mhm!" Chyuuichi nodded.

"Finally..." Atomu sighed, tired. "I'm exhausted."

"What type of food do you guys have there?" Morio asked, continuously marking down the road they took on a sheet of paper. "I'm a bit hungry." his stomach made noises that suggested his hunger was a bit more than that.

"Oh, and the flowers, are they in the city? I haven't seen them." Jyuzou asked, but Chyuuichi was too busy trying to step off his pony. He jumped to the ground and ran forward.

"SOOOBAAAN!" he yelled, kicking the door, and it flung open into two pieces.

"Chyuuichi, wait!" Elton extended his hands, and before they knew it, Chyuuichi's silhouette disappeared in the darkness, immediately followed by a loud thud, as the door in front of them shut, even sending a small shockwave through the ground.

The horses neighed, all taking a step back, and Bancho jumped off. He put his ungloved hands on the door, pushing as hard as he could. He breathed out, heavily, closing one eye. The old Morian focused, with one drop of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Let me help you!" Elton jumped off, followed by Atomu. Now, three men were pushing as hard as they could, yet, the door stood like an unbreakable statue. Morio eventually joined in, despite his much smaller strength, and Jyuzou stood still, shaking his head.

"This is ridiculous." Anna-Pom snarked, stepping off the horse, leaning against a rocky wall and sliding down to the ground.

"Ah..." Morio backed out. "Mr Bancho, why don't you do the thing you did in the Grand Palace?" he jumped away.

"What thing?" Atomu asked, closing his eyes from the exhaustion and backing out a little.

"Some doors are locked with Demonear magic, but this one won't do." Bancho tapped the surface a little. "It's miona, a rock-like material that doesn't conduct spells and magic. Some smarter demons wore it as armour in the second war."

"Great, then we're stuck!" Jyuzou raised his voice, taking a few steps back, before kicking a rock in anger, as it flew out of the caves then hit his leg. "Ow," he muttered.

Elton put his hand on his forehead, shaking his head.

Jyuzou groaned again. "I can't believe it."

"What?" Morio trod past him.

"That you let him lead despite knowing what he was capable of." he shook his head.

"Don't blame Chyuuichi here," Bancho muttered. "How would you react if you finally came back to Mistwick?"

"I'd be calm, yet excited." Jyuzou raised a finger.

"Hehe, yeah. You'd be running to those Stem flowers and Metho seeds!" Morio chuckled.

"SHUT UP, MORIO!"

"BACK TO YOU, GLASSY IDIOT!"

Anna-Pom picked up small stones that lay next to her and put them into her ears, enjoying the harsh hush. She put her hands up, and then behind her head, closing her eyes.

***

Bancho sat on a boulder, counting something on his fingers, and then usually shaking his head, realising that none of the solutions to the problem they found themselves facing would work. Morio was on his left, seldom glancing at the old Morian hoping for just a spark of good news or encouragement for facing such a challenge.

Jyuzou stood further away from the others, trying to find anything that Chyuuichi told of before they ventured into Mirillis, but after deeming his research unsuccessful and a strange look from Atomu when he tried leaving, he gave up, sighing and sitting on the ground.

He played around with a small pebble, scratching the rocky surfaces or throwing it into the dense air and failing to catch it.

"Jyuzou, am I right?" Ambrosia walked up to the young Morian.

"Uh." Jyuzou fixed his glasses. "Yes, of course."

"Okay, I'm still having some trouble with learning your names, but then again, I recall seeing you during the Demonear exam." they sat down next to him, inching closer and Jyuzou involuntarily moved back a little.

"Oh, that's cool, then." Jyuzou didn't know what to say. "Y-Yeah, I remember seeing you there too."

"That's great." Ambrosia closed their eyes, the smile still everpresent on their face. "I wanted to thank you for what you did earlier when we fought against all those demons. That you yelled out and stayed behind to wait for me. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to snap back."

"Huh?" Jyuzou blinked twice, opening his mouth a little. "What do you mean by snap back?"

"In all honesty, I sometimes can't picture controlling myself when I face all those wretched creatures." they fidgeted around with their cloak. "I think they just make me angry. I have to fight, it's an instinct. Like a rabbit in Malikan." she turned. "They have to jump into the grass when it rains because they don't want their fur wet."

"W-Wow," Jyuzou muttered. "Alright." he quickly nodded. "I get that. I mean... I wouldn't leave someone of the troupe behind, even if I didn't like them."

"Do you not like me?" Ambrosia tilted their head.

"T-That's not what I said." Jyuzou closed his eyes, and Ambrosia giggled a bit.