Demon Manananggal heard Craydon’s shout, and while looking up, she said, “Yes, a Flying Vessel for long distances with a capacity for over two hundred people and their luggage. Considering the direction, it probably came from our biggest City in the north, Kampa.” She then pointed down and a little forward and said, “Do you see that Flying Vessel approaching our capital to land? This is why I had to make sure they still approved our flight path. There are always Demons, Drakes, or vessels in the skies of this country.”

Craydon quickly closed his wide-open mouth, and after a brief moment of silence, he said, “Now you are going to tell us that you also have enormous boats to carry people and submarines for defence.” Noticing her puzzled look, he explained, “You know, boats to travel underwater?”

“Oh, we have those! Underwater Vessel is what we call them. Mostly for defence because of all the sea Monsters out there. Some fools from the Biology Institute have their own vessels for studying life underwater. I honestly don’t get how appealing it is to risk your life underwater just out of curiosity with so many Monsters swimming around. And I am not even mentioning the Holiday Companies that have vessels for people to rent and see the underwater world!”

“Biology Institute? What is that?”

“One of our Institutions where people can study to get a degree. You know, to be better prepared and find a more suitable job?”

With a gasp, Craydon asked, too dumbfounded to believe what he had just heard, “You mean… there are Institutions where people study even more, places that can be considered a school’s evolution?”

“We also have schools, you know? But yes, after graduating from a school, a student can continue his studies in an Institution or look for a job with just a school degree.”

“And… any student can apply to an Institution?”

“If they have grades for it, yes.”

Craydon immediately looked at the puzzled Meryda and said, “You are so going to an Institute!”

“But… but that would mean I would have to move here! What about our farm?” complained Meryda, with Manananggal continuing, “We also have students from other cities studying in our capital. It would be easy for you to attend. As long as you have grades for that and pass the admissions test. Considering your power as a Monster Tamer and how much you like Monsters, I suppose Biology would be interesting for you.”

Meryda had her eyes sparkling and said, “The Institute that studies sea Monsters? I never saw sea Monsters before! Do they look cool? I bet they look cool!”

“If you think an enormous water snake bigger than a house is a cool thing, then I suppose they are kind of cool. I prefer them in slices and slightly cooked, but there are fools out there who think they are pretty and… cool.” The High Demon answered with a disgusted look as if she were about to puke.

While Meryda was dreaming with her eyes open about seeing for the first time a water snake, Demon Manananggal looked at the City that was getting nearer and nearer and said after looking around them, “Since nothing is approaching, and we are within my flight plan, I guess we can land. Follow me to the landing spot in a straight line and at the same altitude.”

Meryda and Craydon guided their Drakes, so that Meryda was right behind Demon Manananggal’s Drake, the Fae’s Drake was next, and Craydon was in the last position.

As they were going lower and lower to a specific point to which Manananggal was aiming her Drake, Craydon looked ahead and saw a massive open field with a straight lane in the middle of it.

On both sides, by the end of that lane, Drakes were waiting to start flying, or some that had just landed, and an enormous flying vessel, which looked like a very long carriage with four wings and was shining with crystals all around it, a clear indication that it was Magic who made it possible for such an enormous vehicle to fly.

As Manananggal’s Drake landed, Craydon mumbled, “An airport… they even have an airport… Why am I not surprised? Of course, there would be airports if they even had flight controllers.”

All Drakes landed near an enormous building, and Demon Manananggal got off from hers and pointed at it, “Like in the other cities, go to the room next to that big door and sign the papers for your Monsters. The Salamander, the Emptiness, and the Slime can stay with you, but they have to be very close to you, or they will get lost. There are far too many people and vehicles in the capital, and it is easy for someone to lose their bearings.”

Meryda did as she was told, and after getting out, a Demi-Cat Half-Demon came out of the room and waited for her Monsters to enter the enormous facility through those massive doors, closing them afterwards with the push of a crystal.

A large carriage arrived, and Demon Manananggal entered it while saying, “Our ride to the Landing Port is this. Get in because we have to go through the port to get into the capital. As soon as we leave the port, a carriage will be there to take us to the Dark Eight’s castle. It is where I live when I am in the capital, where the High Demons assemble to decide everything about our country, and also where our meeting will be held. I think we can start the meeting as soon as we get there unless you are too tired from the voyage, which I don’t think you are because we arrived early and rested before coming here.”

After entering the carriage, which looked like four carriages put together, Craydon asked, as soon as the rider at the front touched a crystal for the carriage to start moving, “What can we expect from that meeting?”

“Nothing too strange. Well, not stranger than everything so far, I suppose. You will meet the other members of the Dark Eight; They will probably ask Meryda to demonstrate her powers after I deliver my report; we will ask her what she wants to do, and then we will decide on our next action.” Seeing that Craydon was slightly frowning, she explained, “Meaning, we will have to decide what to do about the Ooman Alliance, depending on Meryda’s decision, if she will join them or us. Or join none. It is all up to her. No one will threaten or force her to make a decision. But she has to decide so that we can discuss what to do next.”

As the strange carriage was moving, Meryda asked, “What if I decide to join the Alliance?”

“Then everything you saw so far will be destroyed with the war that will unfold the moment Oomans invade our country, and a lot of people will die.”

“And what if I join you guys?”

“Then we will annihilate the Alliance so that never an Ooman dares to set foot in our mountains.”

Meryda gulped and asked, “There is not another option?”

“There is. Resolution 12, but for that, the Dark Eight has to do a voting session, and it will take a few days. There are too many things implied in that Resolution.”

Puzzled, Craydon asked, “What is that?”

“Just something that will change the World completely; that is why we never chose that. It is very complicated and rather tricky. You can say it is our last resort, one that we don’t want to use unless we are forced to.”

“By chance, that Resolution can be used if Meryda joins the Alliance?”

“It can, but it will be harder. Or should I say, it will be harder for the Oomans? While the Resolution itself will protect most Oomans, if we have to do it in the middle of a war in our country, we will choose the most troublesome part of that Resolution. That is, to exterminate all the Oomans in the World. All of them.”

Meryda gasped, and the serious Fae said, “If Oomans have to be exterminated, Fae won’t act. It is all up to you guys to face the consequences afterwards. There will be even more work on your wings because you will have the entire World to take care of, not just this country.”

“We are aware of that, Fae. That is why we never chose it.”

While sighing, Craydon said, “It seems the best option would be for Meryda to hide somewhere and never choose a side.”

“It could, but we are becoming fed up with the Oomans, and even the Fae seem to have enough of them. It is about time for all this fighting to end. Until now, we never acted; we just defended our mountains. But if we act, things won’t end well for the Alliance.”

Meryda looked at the serious green being and, surprised, heard them say, “Not only the Fae, but even Crosslot got enough of the Oomans. Goddess Cinna wanted to destroy them long ago, but we didn’t let her. Now, it is getting to a point that… We don’t know what else we can do to save the Oomans.”

With a slow, deep breath, Demon Manananggal said, “That is why Resolution 12 might be the Oomans’ last hope. But enough of this. We can discuss that after we reach the castle. For now, enjoy the scenery, because the port is an extraordinary sight.”

As soon as the carriage stopped in front of an extremely long building, they exited, and Craydon gasped when he looked up.

On the first and second floors, there were massively long windows, with people there looking at the lane behind him where another Flying Vessel was landing, making him mumble. “Just like an airport… What the heck is this country?”

The door to that building opened, and as they were walking in, Craydon saw a lot of people inside, with luggage, small Monsters next to them, Demis, Half-Demons, strange beings that looked like they could be Demons because they didn’t resemble any Demi he had ever seen, with their wings, massive thick members, and big horns, carefully walking so that they didn’t bump against anyone.

There were shops on the farthest wall, selling all sorts of things and memorabilia. A coffee house, restaurants, and entertainment areas with games where a few kids were playing while their parents were seated at tables nearby with their luggage and having a drink.

Outside that port, there was another carriage waiting for them, to which Demon Manananggal went, making the driver waiting next to it smile and bow profusely when he saw her.

Meryda and the Fae entered the carriage right after Manananggal, and Craydon was the last one.

The carriage slowly got off the ground, hovering at a few centimetres the moment the driver touched a crystal, and by using a series of crystals in the panel ahead of him, the carriage went along a large road that exited the Landing Port and was going to the city centre.

Meryda and the Fae were looking through a window, admiring all the carriages, people, and absurdly tall buildings, with Craydon on the other window, seated next to a smiling High Demon, who asked, “What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?”

“It sure is. Where are we going after all?”

The High Demon pointed to something in front and up, and Craydon blinked a few times, unable to believe what he was seeing. There it was, a hill right in the middle of the city with a massive, dark, rocky castle on top, but with so many tall buildings around that he couldn’t see it while they were flying.

As if it were a dream, he heard Manananggal explain, “That castle has been up there for millennia, and the small village around it grew into a city, and then into our capital, while our entire country was growing as well. History says that our ancestors once lived there when they first arrived in this World. History also says that once, Demons were scattered all over the World, but when the first Demis arrived, the Demons moved to what is now the Oka country. When the Oomans arrived there, the Demons moved again, but to this part of the mountain range to leave the Demis and the Oomans alone. But then the Oomans started mining crystals, and eventually, they reached the mountain range.”