"Damn... my head... it's exploding...
The ache... this excruciating pain...
can't... stand... anymore..." was thinking Jorael as he was trying to slowly move to reach Ella whilst the time for the rest of the world was halted.
"Won't... make it... anyway...
arggghhh... Freeze!" yelled the suffering Traveler aiming at the Mole-rat that was biting Ella's arm.
Time was still stopped, and an Arcane Magic heptagram appeared in front of Jorael's arm, brightly glowing with a purple light.
The spell was successfully launched, and it hit the beast, causing instant freezing.
"I... can... close... the eye..." thought Jorael while closing his left glowing golden eye, to instantly find relief as all of his pain washed away.
The world reprised its normal flow of time and everything was colored once again.
"AAAHHHHHH!" screamed the little girl in pain, as she found her arm stuck and bitten by a vicious frozen monster.
"W-what happened?!" asked confused Cyn'Thia while she was fending off the beasts in front of her, slaying one after another.
"Focus on your targets!
I'll take care of these four..." Jorael replied while he was going to face the monsters.
Ella after screaming suddenly collapsed seemingly from the pain and fainted. The remaining four Mole-rats were muddled as to what happened to the other of their kind, but the incoming Traveler picked their attention.
"Now die blasphemous creatures. Elektronvolt!" shouted Jorael while aiming at the monsters.
Multiple thunders came out from the purple heptagram that formed in front of his palm, hitting immediately the four beasts electrocuting them to their demise.
"Ella! How are you?! " asked the Traveler while getting closer to her, but no reply was given as the little girl was still unconscious on the ground, with her arm bleeding and with the frozen Mole-rat still stuck.
"This nasty monster..." yelled Jorael whilst crushing with his foot the frozen creature, making it explode in thousands of ice fragments.
The wound on Ella's arm now was bare open, without the monster's fangs blocking the stream of blood that now was flowing out easily.
"Heal!" promptly exclaimed the Traveler aiming with his hand at the wounded little girl.
A glowing white heptagram appeared and the White Magic spell was cast, slowly healing the gash on Ella's arm.
"Come on, Ella you'll be fine, right?!
Please, Ella…
Elijah…" was compulsively whispering Jorael as he was continuing to heal the child.
"Who is Elijah?" asked Cyn'Thia approaching the Traveler while panting and trying to breathe profusely after her battle concluded.
"…
You killed all of them?" replied Jorael quickly changing the topic.
"Yes, Master. What happened? How's Ella?" responded the Elf worried for the little girl.
"Unconscious, but she should be fine." Replied the Traveler finishing healing the child.
"Good, for a moment I was really worried when you started screaming…
Then you yelled something and you disappeared for a sec, to reappear some mels further and the Mole-rat that attacked Ella was suddenly frozen.
What happened, Master?" asked curiously Cyn'Thia.
"Well… you could say it was a Sage trick…" said Jorael avoiding telling her the truth.
"Master. I think you're hiding something." Replied the Elf with suspicions.
"Let's go back to the village.
Ella's parents should be highly concerned for their missing daughter…" said the Traveler while picking up the unconscious little girl.
"Uhm… I think I need to fix myself a bit first…" whispered Cyn'Thia while looking at herself drenched in Magic Beasts blood.
"Let's not waste time, for that I'll take good care of it… Hydro!" shouted Jorael pointing his hand at the Elf.
A beginner Arcane Magic spell was activated, forming a huge sphere of water above Cyn'Thia's head.
Then, the large globe of water fell on the Elf, partly washing away her battle signs and dirt.
"Master… next time tell me beforehand, please." Shouted Cyn'Thia now drenched in water and upset.
"Uhm… yes, it may have been not my best idea, sorry!" replied Jorael apologizing.
The two of them started walking to return to the village.
…
"Ella!" screamed her parents as soon as they saw the adventurers returning, with their daughter carried by the Traveler.
"She's sleeping, now she's fine…" was explaining Jorael while handing the child to the arms of her mother.
"Now?" asked Ella's father worried.
"… she followed us, obviously unbeknownst to me and Cyn'Thia. She suddenly appeared amidst the battle because she wanted to root for my aide, and unfortunately, we couldn't avoid her getting harmed by a Magic Beast, but I immediately took care of it and healed her. She will be fine I guarant…" the Traveler was replying but got interrupted again by the father.
"So, it's the fault of your fancy slave?" asked the man angrily, while his wife was crying hugging her unconscious child.
"What?!" replied Jorael shocked while looking at a silent Cyn'Thia.
"You admitted it!
My wife told me that despite you have a slave, you're not a noble.
You should understand that your slave attracted too much attention and led my poor daughter to be hurt.
If you were a nobleman, I would let it pass, but as you're a commoner like us…
I demand you to scar your pretty slave face, so she will not cause disturbance anymore!" shouted the ireful man.
Jorael couldn't hold it anymore and started screaming:
"YOU FUCKING IDIOT!
Don't blame your parenting mistakes on someone else!
If you had your daughter under control and kept an eye on her, all of this would have not happened!
You don't know the treasure you have until you lose it…"
The Traveler was visibly trembling as Ella's parents took a few seconds of disbelief, and then promptly retort:
"W-what you, a youngster would know about raising a child?!"
Cyn'Thia, who had remained silent until that moment, could easily understand, looking into Jorael's eyes, the anger and rage growing inside him, almost to the point of exploding. To avoid this, she held her Master by the hand and said:
"Master, let it go. The child is safe, and that's what matters the most…"
"What?! A slave dares to talk back?!" shouted Ella's father, met by Jorael's piercing gaze.
"ENOUGH!" suddenly shouted Herman, Teguria's chief, as he was arriving at the scene. Then once arrived he continued:
"What's all of this shouting and fuss about?"
"Chief… Ella's got hurt because she followed the adventurer's fancy slave!
It's their fault she got harmed, and they need to pay for it!" yelled again the man.
"How so?
Where were both of your parents when she got out of your house early in the morning?
You should be grateful to them and pay your homage to Kalipso because Ella was saved!" replied the chief.
"But chief…" whispered the man.
"Enough! Shut up! Go home now and take care of Ella!
Now, adventurers, would you mind giving me the guild contract?" asked Herman while Ella and her parents were leaving.
"Yes…" replied Jorael whilst giving the contract.
"Good. Now that they're gone…
I humbly apologize for what happened, and on behalf of Teguria, thank you for saving the child and our village." the chief said apologizing bitterly whilst bowing his head.
Then, Herman proceeded to sign the contract and gave it back to the adventurer.
"Thank you chief. We will not cause any more disturbances and now we'll return to Rivella. Farewell." Thanked Jorael, putting the signed contract in his pocket.
Cyn'Thia silently nodded and bowed her head to salute the chief.
"May Kalipso look after both of you. Farewell." was Herman's last words before the adventurers left his village.
…
On the road to Rivella.
"Master, your eyes were really scary for a moment there…" whispered Cyn'Thia recalling what happened back at Teguria.
"hmm… I was on the verge of exploding.
If it wasn't for you, something wicked may have occurred…" replied Jorael concerned.
"Like with the Human noblewoman in Rivella?" asked the Elf worried.
"Hope not something this evil…" whispered back the Traveler.
"Master, from now on, until you want me by your side, I'll take care of it…" said Cyn'Thia while putting her purest smile looking at Jorael. Then, she continued talking by asking:
"Master, if I may ask, why were you so involved and distressed by the whole matter with Ella and her parents?"
"…
A child is an utmost treasure a parent owes to protect and care." Jorael answered fully convinced with his words.
Cyn'Thia stopped walking and started looking to the ground. After few seconds she whispered with gloomy eyes:
"Yes. Yes, it should."
…
At dusk, the adventurers arrived back at Rivella.
"We could go to the guild to get the reward and call it a day" Jorael said returning to town.
"Yes, Master!"
They entered the guild headquarters and found the same atmosphere as ever, many adventurers chatting and laughing and Catherine was waiting strictly at the counter to help her companions.
"Hello, adventurers! You're already here?!
Don't tell me you completed your last assigned mission?!" the secretary started yelling as soon as she saw Jorael and Cyn'Thia approach her.
"Yes, here is the contract signed by the chief of Teguria." Said the Traveler as he took out the document and gave it to Catherine.
"hmm… did you do it all by yourself?" the secretary asked suspiciously.
"Master left me to handle it. I have successfully slain almost all the Magic Beasts alone…" said Cyn'Thia ambiguously.
"AH! I knew it!
You are a good-for-nothing that bought this poor Elf to do his job!" yelled Catherine pointing her finger to Jorael.
"No, it's not quite like that, please Cyn'Thia don't put it that way ..." the Traveler defended himself, asking for the support of his aide.
"Master, you were standing there with your arms crossed and watching me battling…" whispered the Elf. Later she couldn't hold it anymore and she began furtively to laugh, without Catherine noticing.
"SEE! You're really are the worst adventurer Jorael!" shouted the secretary with eyes of contempt while the Traveler was sighing.
"Madam Kat, Master is nice and kind.
He saved a child from a brutal attack of a monster, while I was busy fighting." Said Cyn'Thia finally defending Jorael.
"hmpf… He must have used an opportunity you made to save the child and become the hero of the day, whilst you did all the dirty job…" speculated Catherine still doubtful.
"Okay, okay, may we have our reward now?" asked Jorael changing the topic.
"…
Yes, here it is your reward. As for your ranks…
Although I conflict with this, I am promoting the adventurers Jorael and Cyn'Thia to the rank of Initiates." Declared the secretary giving the quest reward to Jorael, amidst the hall full of adventurers that begun celebrating the promotions.
"Thanks. If I may ask why Cyn'Thia's rank jumped straight to Initiate?" asked the Traveler.
"Well, she did all of your jobs…" replied Catherine with disdain.
"Fine by me. Are there quests for us?" Jorael enquired.
"Nope." Answered quickly the secretary.
"hmm… are you sure?" asked again the Traveler.
"Yep." replied quickly again Catherine.
"Madam Kat, please is there really nothing to do for us?" politely asked Cyn'Thia.
"Hmm… Only because she's the one asking.
No, there are really no quests at disposal for the moment being.
You should come back again tomorrow morning and see if fate provided something for the two of you…" explained the secretary.
"That's it? Then, farewell…" said Jorael saluting Catherine.
"Madam Kat, see you tomorrow!" exclaimed the Elf smiling.
"Bye-bye Cyn'Thia!" said the secretary saluting her.
Therefore, the adventurers left the Titan Guild building to head back to their lodgings, passing through Rivella's central square, only to find a commotion going on. People were shouting and acclaiming someone present amidst the crowd:
"The Flower!"
"Snowdrop is here!"
"Why is he here from Northum?"
To the amazement of the two adventurers, the crowd greeted and cheered a masked man. He was tall and mighty, but at the same time, it was easy to see that he was also a bit overweight, due to some fat dripping from his silver-white armor. He wore a long white cloak, with a silver-white metal mask engraved with snowdrops. A soldier who was behind the masked man started shouting:
"Madams and Sirs, please let his grace Snowdrop pass, as he has an audience with his eminence the High Priest!"
Still, the crowd was not opening a path for the man and his soldiers to pass. The masked man started talking:
"Admirable citizens of Rivella, full of admiration for me in this courageous faith which you first demonstrate here. I, as a humble servant of Kalipso, must ask you the favor of letting us pass in order to go to the reception with the High Priest, as apparently, Kalipso could have plans for this modest servant. Thank you all, admirable citizens!"
His voice was powerful and masculine. His request for him was immediately heeded and the crowd promptly cleared the way for him and his soldiers. After the man left to the cheers of the crowd, Jorael naively asked a man close to him:
"Who's that man?"
The man could not believe he had been asked that question. A few seconds later he replied:
"What?...
You don't know one of the Four Flowers, General Snowdrop from Northum?
Is this a bad joke?"
"Haha… yes, sorry for the inconvenience. Goodbye!" whispered Jorael hurriedly leaving the square with Cyn'Thia.
On the road to the Mad Filly Inn the Traveler commented on the man just witnessed:
"Cyn'Thia, I don't know if you felt it, but that man, Snowdrop, is really strong ..."
"I couldn't sense anything, but I trust your judgment, Master." Replied the Elf believing him.
They arrived at the inn and as soon as they entered, Daisy the innkeeper began to shout:
"Here they are the lovely and charming couple!
Candy boy, would you take responsibility for him already?"
"For sure Daisy, I'll pay for everything of his needs." Replied Jorael while approaching the inn's counter.
A cat suddenly jumped on the counter meowing, and the Traveler could not resist petting him on his head and said:
"We're back, Pancelot…"