Without much hesitation, Bancho disappeared into the darkness that shrouded the secret corridor, and Morio stood still for a bit, gulping. He looked around the area, noting that it resembled nothing else in Shimori. Colours that didn't match the early pink and purple of Herbes, birds he hadn't heard before, and roads that didn't seem to lead anywhere from here, ending in a patch of leaves tucked carefully in between green tufts of grass.

His hand travelled into his pocket, taking out the map of Shimori, and tracing footsteps with his fingers.

"Morio?" Bancho stuck his head out, pushing his hand on the doorframe.

"Uh!" Morio quickly looked at him, alerted.

"Have some patience, young Morian. I'll tell you where we are in just a little bit." Bancho smiled, nodding, and Morio quickly trod over, taking one final glance back, feeling a small wind going through his hair, and then gracing his cheek.

Unsurely waving forward, Morio managed to grab Bancho's hand and the surrounding gloom started revealing patterned walls of thick lines and stars in the sky, dancing atop the night lights. On the ceilings, relative to each five squares on the floor, was a smiling, or frowning sun, sometimes but rarely turning into the moon, without much of a pattern.

Bancho stopped, and they took a few turns, before standing in front of one more door, filled with letters in Old Manjuno. Morio eagerly listened to the distant waterfall, as it only seemed to splatter against the waters harsher. The Wise took a deep breath, and scanned the side with his finger, as the symbols lit up in light blue.

Morio opened his mouth, shocked, and eventually, with a loud thud, the gate lifted, revealing a spacious room.

"It's just simple spell casting. Without actually changing anything." Bancho muttered, looking at Morio, placing both hands in his pockets.

"Huh?" Morio tilted his head.

"You know." Bancho glanced away. "The door was locked the same way it was unlocked. Passing Demonear magic through my name written in Old Manjuno."

"Oh." Morio seemed a bit disappointed. "I don't know Old Manjuno!"

"It doesn't really..." Bancho chuckled. "You'll learn." he smiled, continuing forward.

Before Morio could easily make out anything except the sun setting in the distance, Bancho waddled over to a rope hanging off near a pillar, pulling it with all his might.

When it reached the floor, the massive, majestic chandeliers above the two lit up in a brisk white, quickly turning into a pastel orange. The shades bounced around the main hall, and into the corridors separated by pillars, with checkerboard white and black floors leading to stairs up and down the mountain.

But in awe, Morio kept staring forward, eventually taking a few steps in and turning around with a wide, shocked smile. The marbled walls and the patterns which continued from earlier were now illuminated by warm lights, and the sounds of the nearby waters bounced off into his ears, only stopped by the tinted window panes in the extending halls.

The young Morian finally stopped, looking at the Wise, who sat on a small, modest, wooden chair.

"Welcome to the Grand Palace, Morio," Bancho muttered.

Morio put his hand on his forehead, in disbelief. "A palace? In Shimori?" he asked, still beaming.

"It's a meeting place, and epicentre for all things, good and bad. We met with glaska in our hands, sat in the main hall on our wooden chairs and discussed the light, and darkness. Only a few have ever been allowed access, and barely anyone can find it." he explained. "Remember when I tapped my fingers against the trees?"

"Yes..." Morio leaned closer.

"They responded and showed me the way with a howl echo on the inside. It's an old method we used when it all came to light. It's much easier to get lost than you think, and I have to unwillingly admit that it's been quite a while since then that I tramped into the wrong places. A long time, huh..." he muttered to himself. "Yes, of course. It's here where my weapon was crafted, it's also where both Gloria and Victis were made, by your mother's hands."

"She knew all about this place and never told me?!" Morio inched closer.

"I wouldn't be able to keep her out, even if I wanted to. She sneaked in, actually, desperately demanding more answers. I'm surprised she didn't mutter a thing or two to you, but that's Gloria I guess." he smiled. "Full of mysteries."

Morio breathed out, and his smile quickly faded into a small frown. He walked over to the balcony at the end of the hall, and pushed his hands on the edge of the black, metal barrier, looking down at three waterfalls crashing into the Brown Sea. Bancho trod over, looking out into the sky, and the sun created orange clouds, pulsating into yellows.

Morio glanced up for a moment, before turning around. "How's Mama?" he asked, in a weak voice.

"Nothing has changed, Morio," Bancho said. "I've been to Mistwick seventeen times in the past year, staying for about thirteen nights at my longest. Despite that, I went to check up on her every day. Unfortunately, nothing changed."

"D-Did you pray?" Morio asked.

"Of course I did. Let Shin have her in his care."

"Then, I'm glad that she's kept safe. If nothing's changed, then it's good too, you know?" Morio put his hands together. "She's still here, then."

Bancho snapped his fingers quietly as if he were fearful of touching a certain subject.

"Back to what I was saying," Bancho continued, coughing out a bit, but then turning to the sunset again, "Some places are kept secret for a reason. That's partly why I never told you anything about this place in your first maps. I'd say, there are still some things that can only be discovered firsthand, and telling stories might not be enough."

"What if I was the one to relay those stories with my maps?" Morio asked, raising his fist.

"Not until now. Those maps you make can fall into unwanted hands."

Morio stopped for a moment, making a strange face. He desperately searched around his pockets. "Oops," he whispered.

"What's that?"

"Nothing!"

"Please don't tell me you drew a map of Eversky," Bancho uttered, putting his hands together as if for a prayer.

"It was Zuimu's idea!"

"Sure it was." Bancho chuckled. "Is it here with you?"

"Y-Yes." Morio nodded, turning away.

Bancho sighed in great disappointment. "As long as you vow to keep it safe, or if it doesn't leave Eversky, then it's not much of a problem." Bancho gave him a thumbs up, and Morio swallowed, quietly. A singular, drop of sweat rolled down his face, but things eventually seemed to calm down.

"About Eversky!" Morio clung to the barrier, now that the yellow clouds were gone and the sky slowly started changing into an orange mixed with black. "Why did I have to stay there for so long?"

"Your wounds had to heal."

"Nah, there must be something else to it!"

"Huh?"

"Some secret! A reason why I was kept there!" Morio smiled with his teeth, pointing to Bancho. "Eh?"

"Sometimes things have simple answers, and sometimes they don't." Bancho shook his head. "How would you rate the severity of your wounds?"

"It wasn't that bad." Morio waved his hand.

"Your stomach was cut open and you had three broken bones in your hand."

"Pff! I'm sure you've suffered worse!" Morio walked around. "Being old and all!"

Bancho raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "It was my first time seeing wounds like these. Think back to why Zuimu didn't leave and you could. Erans' hospitality may be grand, but you're going to spend a lot of time there."

Morio turned around. "I felt fine, though. After a week, I was ready, Mr Bancho." Morio explained. "Everyone left and I didn't. I had to stay behind and entertain myself with nothing. The same stories will get boring, and the tales of 'nothing happening' are always exhausting! So much has happened, and I wasn't a part of it. I didn't get to see Shimori in Herbes last year. I couldn't spend any time with my new friends, because they were so busy. It's..."

"Morio." Bancho stopped him. "We were all waiting for you. I thought you'd be glad that nothing happened."

Morio ground his teeth, and his lip shook.

"No, I am not. I wish there was a breakthrough, but it turns out all we did was nothing special," he muttered.

"Come on." Bancho shook his head, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What about you isn't special, huh?"

"N-Nothing," he answered, annoyed, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm just another Morian."

"Really? Do you think that just another Morian would go to Morta and back, with hope still gleaming in their eyes?" Bancho asked, again, walking over to the balcony.

Morio waited, thinking things through and then followed, looking out in the same manner.

"I told you back then and I still think that way, Morio," Bancho informed. "Someone like you is born once in a million years." he put his hands together.

"Then, did I not waste all that time?"

"You can always start new things even when you are old, and your life can take sudden turns and twists when you least expect it. For example, Gloria became a Demonear at the age of 27. Do you know why your Mum was a Demonear, but retired so quickly?"

"Huh?" Morio jumped up, alerted.

"She was like you. Eager for adventures, and really, the best there was. Swinging her sword like crazy, defeating demon after demon, fending off goblins in Magna, but much like you, she wanted more. She set out to Morta, and the horrors she faced there completely changed the way she thought of her role. It wasn't just another demon, though."

Morio turned.

"Something in her changed, dramatically. Three seasons later, she gave birth to you, saying it was someone in Magna who helped her through the trauma, but I haven't met your father, even though I and Gloria are good friends. They say, those who return from Morta are never the same, and here you are, a shining opposite and someone breaking those unwritten rules. Isn't that anything special?"

"Then Jyuzou-"

"This isn't about Jyuzou." Bancho quickly shushed. "Don't get me wrong, but we're talking about you now. Everything that makes Morio great."

"But it wasn't me that went through Morta. That witch, Idalia. She helped me through." Morio said.

"Because she was meant to do exactly that. The second I was at my wit's end, I sent out a message for her to protect the one symbol of hope remaining in my eyes. Whether it'd work or not." he turned, glancing over at the emblem barely sticking out from Morio's button-up. "She fought courageously, and now we're on equal terms. Haven't seen her since."

"She..." Morio muttered. "She didn't protect me, though."

"What do you mean?"

Morio unearthed the reversed triangle, and Bancho took a cautious step back, breathing out. "She brought it right back to me after that devilish creature took it. If so... how did you know it was in my hands? What meaning does it have?"

"Uh." Bancho gulped. "I don't know. I had you in mind when speaking my prayers."

"R-Really?" Morio seemed disappointed, hiding the necklace, and stress seemed to fade out.

"Witches are still a mystery, perhaps, one to uncover, but we may never learn their minds," Bancho said, rubbing his hands. The sun finally set behind the watery horizon, leaving the casted shadows behind to the night's guard. He breathed out.

Morio lay his head on the black barrier, and frowned a bit, with a wind tussling their white hair. The sounds of the waterfall grew more prominent.

"If Mama was a Demonear like me, how long did it take her to make these swords?" Morio continued. "Did she have a different weapon before that?"

"No," Bancho answered. "She vowed that her Guardian Demon would be her craft, and her beliefs were so strong that the sparkle passed through. Just like it did with Victis, for you," he answered, and Morio glimpsed at both sheaths. "Demonears with demons dance flawlessly. A demon fights for its own life, and eventually, the human learns to follow its moves. It may take years, and for some, just a few days. But not everybody who knows how to dance can become a Demonear."

Morio chuckled a little, with the tension finally easing up. "So there must be some anvils and furnaces in this palace, right?"

"Yes." Bancho nodded. "There's a kitchen, bedrooms, washrooms."

"Even washrooms?" Morio opened his mouth in awe.

"Yeah." Bancho chuckled.

As for the last bit of trivia about Morians, they're clean people, but baths are taken every three to four days since their natural hygiene and lifestyle make up for such commodities. There are a few baths in a separate area in Mistwick, there's one big water barrel for each room in Wendigo, and there are special buildings specifically designed and designated for big washrooms in Magna, however, they cost about five Silver.

"Then! Wait." Morio stopped. "I still didn't ask this question!" Morio raised a finger. "Why are we here?"

"Hm." Bancho smiled, putting his hand under his chin. "It's for, let's say, an adventure," he muttered.

"Huh!" Morio's eyes widened. "What adventure? Where are we going?!"

"A mind that wonders lives long, but you're bound to take a break, here and there." Bancho stepped away from the balcony and wandered into the hall. "Everything you'll need for a good night's sleep is on the left... right from here." he pointed towards the corridor, and Morio quickly nodded, running forward. "Uh! Watch out for the dust! Haven't been here in years!"

"It's cool!" Morio yelled out, disappearing into the extending corridor.

Bancho looked out the balcony one last time, with his stressful frown eventually turning into a tough smile.

***

In the morning, Bancho looked out towards the sun with a cup of glaska in his hand. He stuck one palm out, and a small Shimorian sparrow that he called Yukshi, carefully landed on his fingers.

He moved his head closer towards the animal, whispering something under his breath, which changed into a quiet song. Bancho smiled, closing his eyes, and with one swift movement of his hand, the bird flew up into the sky and far from the palace.

Morio yawned, treading through the halls and rubbing one eye. "Good-" he yawned again. "Morning," he said, blinking twice.

"Good day to you, Morio." Bancho nodded, turning to the young Morian. "We've got lots of work to do today."

"Hm." Morio made a serious face, before loosening up, then raising an eyebrow. "Ha! The adventure!" he jumped up. "I have to polish my sword, get my stuff ready-"

"No, Morio. We're expecting guests." Bancho informed. "...and a Morian would never want to invite someone over to an unkempt house."

"Huh?" Morio took a step back, now a bit unsure. Bancho's smile grew wider, and before the young one knew it, a large object was thrown his way, and Morio caught it in his hands. "A broom?!"

"Let's make it shine!" Bancho smirked.

"Nooooo!"