NOTE: Amara will be known as Crystal in this chapter due to her previous introduction to Oliver.
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Oliver's POV:
I watched in a daze as Crystal launched the ship. I thought back to the small symbol on the ship. Although most know who the Association are, one would not understand what it meant unless it had been revealed to them. The symbol was a bow loaded with three arrows. The three arrows stood for the three things: Hope, Courage, and Truth. The bow represented all of the united races in the Association, including dragons, elves, dwarves, and fairies, just to name a few. I felt a pit of dread starting to grow in my stomach. Maybe she stole it? Or maybe she repaired it by herself to fly. But, I knew this wasn't the case. The technology was state of the art, and the interior seemed to glisten in cleanliness.
Just what had I gotten myself into?! I watched Crystal now with cautious eyes. This girl was not who she seemed to be. How she obtained such a ship was a dangerous mystery, and the way she acted made it seem like she had no idea what she was doing. Now, I was having second thoughts about helping her. I didn't want to get wrapped up in a catastrophe.
Suddenly, a small hand holding a sandwich appeared in front of my eyes. "Do you want it?" Crystal asked. I silently accepted the food and began to eat. I inwardly sighed. I couldn't just leave her on her own. She seemed so naive and innocent. I knew my decision was going to not only impact me, but her also. I was apprehensive, yet also acting selfish. I didn't exactly want her to get tangled with my background, and I knew I should just ignore her. But, here I was, on a ship, with a strange and mysterious girl, and having no idea where we were going.
I finished the last bite of my sandwich and quietly watched Crystal moving about, grabbing and moving things. She tucked things away and tidied up. "This is your bed," she said, pointing at the bunk bed that was built into the wall. I had the top bed, while she had the lower. I nodded my head, throwing my backpack onto the bed. I sat back down and leaned back to watch the stars.
My mind wandered back to the symbol. More questions popped into my mind and I thought about the conversation I had overheard before I left. "Don't worry. She will come soon enough," my father said in his usual deep voice. My brother had made a few remarks, and then stormed out in rage.
I paused and then laughed at myself. There was no way that this girl was who they were talking about, right? The more I thought about it the more suspicious it seemed. Crystal was piloting a vessel from the Association. She seemed inexperienced, and there was no one else accompanying her. I glanced back anxiously. Crystal was flipping through a notebook on her bed, looking quite content. I rubbed my face, trying to calm myself down. There was no way it could be her. I shook my head, dismissing my suspicion. I had agreed to help her, so that's what I would do.
"Hey Crystal," I asked from my seat.
"Hm."
"Where exactly do you want to go?"
She paused her scribbling, a look of uncertainty in her eyes. "I'm looking for someone named Cythraul. Do you happen to know anything about him?" She asked hesitantly.
I froze in my seat. My mouth became dry, and my hands trembled. No way. I swallowed, trying to answer her question. I felt her expectant gaze on the back of the chair. "Ah," I forced out, my voice catching in my throat. "Cythraul is…well known for his ruthless nature, and the path of destruction he creates wherever he goes." I had pulled this information from what soldiers had whispered in various bars.
Neither of us spoke for a long time. The only sound was the gentle tapping of her feet, and the soft whirling of the machinery. Eventually, Crystal sat back down, and her scribbling began again. I fell back into my thoughts. I was desperately trying to figure out what to do. I could help her, but wouldn't that just be leading her to her death? I didn't exactly want her to get hurt…
I groaned out loud. The scribbling stopped. "Are you alright?" Crystal inquired. I answered with a weak sounding "yes". She got up and walked to the front of the ship, sitting down in the chair next to me. I stared at her as she looked up at the stars.
"Well," she began, "I didn't mean to scare you so much. I am just trying to find someone, and the only clue she left me was the name, Cythraul. I don't exactly know where to start, but maybe finding him was what I needed to do first."
I sat for a second. So, she wasn't looking for my father? "Who are you looking for?"
She fidgeted with her necklace. Its gem caught my eye. Hm, how unique. "Her name's Lily. She was taken, hm, about six days ago." Crystal continued to tell me about this girl, and I started to have a vague idea where she might be.
"Well, if she mentioned the name, Cythraul, she must be in one of his prisons, but the question is which one? The Cythraul's prisons separates its prisoners by threat levels. The most extreme are put in the most secure one, so that can't be it. Lily doesn't seem like the average prisoner, so that leaves, hm, about five, but that is still a pretty big number," I said, thinking out loud. Then, I remembered something. "Crystal, what did you say she looked like again?"
"Well, she has white hair and purple eyes. She is 5'8, I think, and she usually has a placid face."
I jumped up from my seat, excited, even though I didn't really know why. I rushed to the control panel and typed in the coordinates. Crystal watched me in confusion. "Wait, but isn't that…"
I grinned. "Yep, the prison your friend resides in is located in none other than the legendary Obisidian Maze."