“Where are we going?” Vizisco’s voice broke the silence, and they felt as Kou’s hand tightened around their’s. Just like the day before, Kou was strangely silent as they walked, and the demon was beginning to wonder if being so far from his home had an effect on the human. The rest of the night had passed quietly, and since Kou hadn’t indicated a time to wake up, Vizisco had just let him sleep, which Kou merely laughed off. 

Yet now, he was quiet again, and Vizisco glanced up as they heard the sound of another being walking. It only took a moment for them to recognize it was another human who sounded quite a distance away, and glancing around revealed no new numbers in their vision. 

“The mountain community,” Kou finally answered, and Vizisco glanced down to the numbers next to them. Kou tightened his grip on their hand, and the demon tightened their fingers back automatically, though they didn’t understand why. It simply seemed like the correct response.

“The people there do not allow demons.”

“You’ve been there?” There was confusion in Kou’s voice and Vizisco glanced up again, hearing as the other human got closer. A vague outline of the numbers was now visible in the distance and they shrugged. 

“I passed by on my way to answer Nrome’s request. They warned me to go around.” Vizisco answered, their steps steady even as the sound of the approaching human grew louder. Kou did not speak right away, and gave a low hum instead. 

“I’ve never been there, so I don’t know.”

“Then why are you going?”

“There is said to be an old traveler there, one who used to look for First World ruins,” Kou explained and the demon nodded, the numbers from the other human now close enough to see:

{Ability: 15

Loveliness: 5

Corruption: 85}

“I want his map.”

“Map?”

“Yes, it’s like a piece of paper that tells you where things are,” Kou started to slow down as the other human got closer and Vizisco tilted their head, unsure of why. “There’s someone coming, and not enough room for us to walk side by side. We need to step off for a moment.”

“Alright,” Vizisco allowed the human to guide them off the path and into the short grass, the pony complaining slightly as they finally stopped walking. The demon felt as Kou released their hand to soothe the animal, so instead they turned their attention to the approaching human. This close, Vizisco could now hear the cadence of hooves and a wagon; a being Kou called a “merchant.”

“Hey there!”

“Hey! You two okay?”

“Yeah, we’re good. Heading to Baco,” Kou answered, and the merchant gave a loud, understanding laugh.

“Better hurry, they’re expecting snow early this year. You’ll be wanting to stop before sundown; there’s a ridge about an hour ahead, good place to camp.”

“Thanks!” Kou called back, and Vizisco listened to the bounce of the human’s voice, still lighter than normal. The merchant continued past, , the wheels of his wagon creaking in the hard-packed dirt. The pony at Vizisco’s side shifted again, huffing as the unfamiliar scents and sounds passed by. Vizisco waited until they heard the human sigh, raising their hand as they waited to be guided back to the path. “Not surprising.”

“Hm?”

“The snow. I had planned to leave after the flower festival to beat the snow, but I guess it’s a good thing I left before,” Kou muttered and Vizisco felt the familiar warmth as the human grabbed their hand to guide them. “Do you know Baco’s angel?”

“No. As I said, I avoided the city.”

“Well, I can’t afford to go around. It’s not like there are many maps for First World Ruins, so this guy is my only chance.” Kou insisted and Vizisco merely nodded. They preferred to not wander around aimlessly, given Kou’s self-destructive behavior. “According to everyone I asked, it’s the most detailed map someone like me could ask for.”

The path underfoot changed gradually, becoming more rocky, less maintained. Vizisco heard the familiar sound of wind through stone and frowned. “We are nearing the bridge.”

“How can you–right, you can probably hear it,” Kou chuckled, his boots scraping over loose gravel as he adjusted his grip on the pony’s lead. “You did say you came this way.”

“It is a sturdy bridge, but narrow.”

“Great, Aldeon is gonna love that.” Kou made a noise Vizisco was starting to understand as frustration and they remained silent as Kou shifted next to them. “Oh well, we’ll deal with that tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, that guy said there was a place to camp before the bridge,” Kou repeated, but Vizisco frowned. 

“It will snow soon. The sooner you get to Baco, the better,” they insisted, and Kou just gave a low grunt, not disagreeing but not speeding up either. His hand stayed wrapped around Vizisco’s as he led them steadily onward, and the demon’s concern grew. “It is still mid-day.”

“I know.”

“Then there is no reason to stop.” Vizisco repeated, feeling the tension in Kou’s fingers even though the human’s touch remained casual. The steady crunch of gravel under their boots filled the silence and Vizisco started to consider what to do. They couldn’t force Kou to continue, but considering the human had refused to bring more clothing and blankets, insisting he would get those items in Baco, it would be hazardous if they were caught in the snow. Baco was not a place Vizisco could go into on their own, based on what they knew, and they hummed in frustration.

“Alright. We can try and find somewhere on the other side to camp,” Kou finally agreed and Vizisco felt some of their tension fade. “But you better hope we can. I told you, me and Aldeon can’t just walk constantly for days.”

“Is that why you are talking less than normal?” Vizisco asked, their curiosity getting the better of them as Kou gave a low grunt. Vizisco waited, expecting the human to continue, but Kou’s silence stretched long. The sound of the wind through the ridge grew louder, and Vizisco wondered if the human could see it yet. It had felt like a well-made bridge, clearly meant for travel as it was made from stone and Vizisco had felt steady crossing it. 

“No, just thinking more than usual,” Kou finally answered, his voice turning quieter, almost casual, like the words barely mattered. His hand stayed tight around Vizisco’s, guiding them carefully around a patch of broken ground. “I’ve been planning this for years and on top of that, I’m not even alone.”

“I told you, I–”

“I know, I know, but that’s not what I meant,” Kou chuckled, and Vizisco heard that unfamiliar sound again. It was the same laugh Kou had used when talking to “Kleia” and it made the demon frown. “Don’t worry, you’ll understand soon.”

“Alright,” Vizisco agreed, their steps steady as they continued walking, the wind rising to a keening whistle through the narrowing rock walls around them. The pony seemed upset and they knew they had to be close to the bridge as Kou paused, doing his best to soothe the animal. “I can carry ‘Aldeon’, if that would be simpler.”

“I just… wait,” Vizisco heard the human’s confusion and they stopped walking as they heard Kou’s footsteps falter. “Are you telling me you can just carry a small horse and all the bags on him?”

“Yes, it should be fine.” Vizisco repeated. From their experience touching the animal, it was not too much bigger than Kou, and they were better suited to deal with the pony if it fought back. “It is not that heavy.”

“Speak for yourself,” Kou’s voice was low, half caught between amazement and something harder to place. The demon remained still, staring down at the numbers as they waited for the human’s decision. “I mean you are more than welcome to try, because otherwise, you’ll have to walk behind Aldeon.”

Vizisco nodded, accepting the reins that were pressed into their hand. They folded the leather to find the animal’s snout, the pony whining in fear of the ridge. Vizisco let their hand slide along the straps and baskets, mapping out where each was as they looked for the apples Kou had gotten for the animal. They quickly fed it to the pony and before the animal could protest, the demon lifted Aldeon from the ground.

The animal went still with surprise, and Vizisco waited a moment to see if it would struggle, but it seemed surprise and fear had caused the beasts to simply freeze. They turned to face Kou’s numbers, hearing the human scoff. 

“I have never been more jealous of Aldeon in my life,” Kou muttered under his breath and Vizisc frowned. What was “jealous?” “Well, let's go. I’m sure Aldeon won’t stay still for long.”

Vizisco nodded, following as Kou’s numbers began to move away in the darkness, and they could hear the sound as the human’s shoes met the smooth stone of the bridge. It still sounded as steady as it had been when Vizisco crossed it and it eased more of their tension. Carrying the pony meant they had less options to protect Kou, and they were eager to cross as soon as possible.

The walk was deliberate, each step echoing against the stone as the narrow bridge channeled the wind into ghostly howls around them. Vizisco kept their arms steady, , the animal docile in its shock but twitching in their grasp. Kou’s steps ahead of them were easy to follow as always, and it didn’t take long to cross. As soon as their boots hit the loose stones of the path, Vizisco lowered Aldeon, kneeling as they allowed the pony to lay down. 

“There there, you lucky bastard,” Kous whispered to the pony and Vizisco stood, listening to the movement around them. The actual mountain pass, they knew, was still another day away, so there should be plenty of room for a camp, but considering the wind, they didn’t know how much shelter the flat rock would actually provide. At least it would be easy to hear danger coming long before it reached them. 

Vizisco glanced as Kou’s numbers moved and they heard as Aldeon finally stood. “Alright, we got a few more hours of daylight. Might as well keep trying to find a place to camp.”

“Alright,” Vizisco agreed, holding out their hand as they waited for Kou to lead them. There was something practiced about it, not just in Kou’s hands, but in his breathing, his stance. He wasn’t stressed, not exactly, but Vizisco could hear the weight in it. They couldn’t tell what the human was thinking, but clearly it meant a lot to them. 

Vizisco did their best to ignore it as Kou led them forward, instead focusing on the sound of the wind around them.