The mention of the ‘D’ Word gets your curiosity pumping… and yea, you meant DEVILS! Pause, you mutter as you raise your hand in front of you like a crossing guard, you’ve got a few questions!

“YES!” Cheers the Chytree under a hushed tone, “Errr, I mean… o-of course! Ask away a-and I’ll… I’ll try to answer it! Ch-challenge… accepted…”

She said they have, uh… singstones… that talk about an Archdevil? And Countermeasures? Something stirs within your soul.

“I’m a bit curious myself, actually! Wonder if I knew the guy?

Oh good, RED’S still listening in… anyways, you groan, did those stones mention, like, a name or anything?

“W-well…” Mutters the Museum Staff as her claw makes a rough scratching noise against her cheek, “The th-thing about singstones is that they grow fainter each time they share their message… s-so the ones studied here in Umberal were very faint when they were discovered…”

“Yes or no, relic wench. SPEAK!” You really can’t express enough how proud you are of your girl Rezalith–rather than attacking your guide outright the fiend simply strides over and pokes her with a claw instead! If you only had a camera…

“ACK! I-I think the devil’s name was AZBAAL!” Squeaks the curator! “Th-that’s what the meister said in the lecture I a-attended, at least…”

”Hmmm… nope. Never heard of ‘em.” Grunts your demonic roommate’s disembodied voice. You don’t say it out loud, but you recall RED’S true name being… KALAMAAX?

Just thinking it sends a shiver down your spine.

“Well there ain’t no Archdevils in Zoral anymore,” Volka remarks with a laugh, “So it sounds like those Khorrozehs did a good job getting rid of it, didn’t they?”

“Seems so,” TT sniffs, “But how? Must’ve been some wild magic!”

“Th-the Nuugal were gifted when it c-came to magic…” Repeats the guide, her gaze wandering down towards the floor. “Th-the stones mentioned spells, but… but no records remain of what they were…” Her eyes drift back your way. “Th-that was their way, really… the Nuugal tended to, well, improvise a lot when it came to spells, so…”

So they didn’t write ‘em down, huh? The Chytree nods.

“E-even nowadays mages can be so c-competitive…” Cheesti sighs. “B-before the Teksouls there were duels on the street l-left and right… a-and now…”

And now? She sends a sidelong glance back where the Teksoul was in the foyer. “I… I miss the W-Watchman th-that used to w-work here… h-he would walk me back to, um, the s-staff dorm…”

A distant slither sends the girl jerking straight up! “B-but th-things are so much safer now! Mhm! S-so convenient, th-those Teksouls!”

>CONTD.