Well even know watching the goblin make a friend was endearing I am glad the False Heroes have now left the boring endless sand for...A small town in the hot sand...I swear you are trying to make me hate my job...Yes but this was once a proud trading town in the Seven Sands empire at a time thanks to it's amazing natural resources and placement in the south of the sands...Like I have already told you I do not know how this curse fell on these lands. I have always wondered about it and now maybe following there fable I will hear about it from the source itself...Exodia eh? A name lost to people even before my time but in his prime he would of been a terrifying enemy to face but he seems much calmer than the stories I have been told but that might be to lure the demon into a false state of comfort before he strikes...Alas we will only find out if we continue the tale.
The moon looked to be leaving the nights sky as blades of soft amber and searing orange started to show on the horizon, being blocked by one of the giant plateaus that stood where Elias had stopped the adventurers before they could advance and spoke loud,
''Regal?! Got some people you will want to meet! Come out!''
The crew all looked in confusion before they started to scan the area, seeing nothing but sand rising from the wind, the jagged rocks with support beams built in that seemed older than the rocks themselves, the noise of the wind whistling through the opening before they heard the caw of a bird above, making Mathis place his hands down and sigh before he spoke,
''Oh that thing has been there since we got out of the cave...You think it is looking at Elias for the meat?''
Elias let out a laugh before outstretching his hand as the brown eagle landed and was placed on the floor and turned its shape into a hunched old dwarf, his eyes a faded gold with the hair on his head shaved but his long beard of silver hit the floor, his cloths were a simple leather shirt and trousers with nothing on his feet being worn. He turned to the now even more confused crew before he spoke with a old an gruff tone,
''What are you doing Elias? Bringing in strays from the outside.''
He walked slowly past the goliath and stopped before the crew and spoke with a even more unhappy tone,
''You will leave. If not then-''
''Then what? I'll gut you quicker than the big boy could pull his blade. Don't threaten people who have done nothing wrong.''
The old man seemed to reel back at this before he laughed,
''Fair enough! Looks like you are not a bunch of pushovers like the goliath...What do you want with our barren lands?''
Elias turned and spoke with vibrant glee towards the small elder,
''Regal, they have removed the curse on the lands! They wish to move to Glassand and return to the days of the empire! Shouldn't you be happy with this?''
The old man rubbed his chin and half turning to the goliath keeping one eye on the Wood Elf as he spoke,
''You...removed the curse?''
Bee stepped forward as he made a visage of Exodia's form stand in front of the old man before he spoke,
''I was the one who was trapped and forced to poison your land's minerals and for that I am sorry. With this demon as my vessel and since his and the crew he is with intentions are to rebuild the greatness I destroyed I feel like I owe it to you.''
Regal's eyes widened at this almost making him jump back before he rubbed his beard and cleared his throat and spoke to the shifting sands,
''Words are all well and good but our people demand action...We have suffered for Eras...My family used to rule this town with love and care until you destroyed everything my ancestors held dear.''
He looked past the visage and then spoke to the crew,
''Oi angel. What do you wish to achieve from this?''
Kyu tilted his head in confusion before responding,
''Me? I'm just here to help keep my brothers stay alive...wifes orders.''
The two others looked at Kyu before he squinted and widened his eyes and turned back,
''Oh...Brothers in law...Sorry.''
The old man seemed to smile at this, turning to the prince and asked again,
''That be a fair reason...But what of you? Got the smell of royalty about you and that makes me worry even more...Who is your family?''
Mathis looked at the small man and spoke,
''The Price's of Recocto...I am the fourth son of Bocaj...You know them?''
Mathis asked this as he saw the old man's eyes open wide again, smiling and turning back to Elias,
''Let them enter the town. If they cause any problems though it will be on you to handle them got it?''
Elias looked nervous as he looked over the three men but reluctantly nodded as Regal tapped his knee,
''Good man...I'll be waiting for the lot of you in That Place when you get in...Dawn will be here in ten minutes so you should make it just in time.''
The dwarf squatted down and jumped in a explosion of brown feathers before his eagle form flew towards the town and cawed as he left making Mathis ask the goliath,
''Oi...What has my father done in these lands?''
Elias only smiled as he kept walking towards the town before he spoke but did not turn back,
''Well that is up to Regal to tell you! Buy him enough drinks it should be easy!''
The other three caught up as they made their way into the town of Glassand.
The fat streaks of glowing red from the rising sun painted the town as it was in a beautiful way, the red glow seemed take the dark woods of the buildings and make them look like a autumn brown, the dull metals used around the houses seemed to shine with every rays movement, glistening patterns of light littering the ground. As the group made their way through a dirt pathway, each side with old rustic styled buildings all at least two stories tall support beams and rails sticking out of them into the ground, some of the stone buildings had begun to slant and some so bad they were being held by large wooden poles inside the windows,
churned over the time in the shifting sands.
As the group passed looking down the long stretching road, they went past markets and tillers selling selling thin cloths of browns, creams and blacks, the three story buildings seemed like established shops within the town, spawning from tailors to a blacksmith and even what looked like a large bar at what they assumed was the town centre. Patrons were already entering drinking in the hot morning still rising sun. It's light now reached all around the town and travelled up towards the building's dark wood frame, revealing a tattered but clearly labelled. Mathis reading allowed,
"That Place…. That's possibly the worst name for a bar I've ever heard and I've drunk in a place called The Gnomes Grin...Don't worry it was promptly burnt to the...Never mind apparently I need to stock up right KYU?!"
Mathis injected venom into the angel's name as he looked into his eye,
"Yes.You do...umm that looks like a bar is it not Seirei?"
Mathis clenched his fist as he whispers to himself but still loud enough to be heard by all,
"He is married to my sister...He is married to my sister...Indra help me I'm going to kill this bird before I retire ain't I…''
He turned with a fake smile before he continued meaning to be heard this time,
''Your right buddy...Let's go.''
Bee chuckled as he added a comment.
"Guess he got the best wife out of the lot. Right Mathis"
He said as Mathis raised his arm pointing before shaking his head, his mouth opened to speak but did not say a word as he pushed passed into the That Place.
The small sounds of idle chat disappeared, all patrons looking to the crew with angry eyes before Bee walked past and spoke with a smug smile on his face,
''Don't worry Mr. Chit Chat...I got this.''
Mathis let him passed before Elias grabbed him by the shoulder and whispered,
''Are you sure about this?''
''Not really...Kyu keep your hand by your blade.''
Elias seemed shocked as Kyu nodded and placed his hands in his robes sleeves before the dwarf cleared his throat as he moved to the centre of the room,
''Well...THE FUCK YOU UGLY GNOME LOOKING ASSHOLES STARING AT?! YA WANT TO DIE SLOW?!''
Not even a second after this bold proclamation all the bar echoed with the click of machinery from the patrons, six shooters aimed at the demon before Mathis made a angry face whispering to Elias,
''Oi you never said they had guns? This is meant to be a poor town?''
''Aye but I'm a proud blacksmith so I made them all...they won't misfire for sure.''
Mathis took a step towards the demon as his shadow took over him but was dissipated by the bright golden glow of sand now forming around the demon as the bullets flew towards him only to lose there momentum the deeper they entered until the dropped straight to the ground making Mathis speak,
''Oi I get it he is stupid I know...A round of Sand Storm for everyone and we can forget this right?''
A familiar laugh could be heard from the bar as the patrons all turned to the old dwarf sitting before he turned and eased himself down before smiling and pointing his walking stick towards the bright red headed human female behind the bar,
''Ya heard him Evelyn! Good to see you have spirit! My friends, these are the ones who saved our beloved blacksmith! Not just that they removed the curses on the mine! Bout time you got here so I could make the announcement!''
A voice could be heard from the bars corner,
''Ya mean your reopening the Ratail and Paradise mines?!''
Regal smile extended to show his rotten brown teeth before he threw his hands into the air,
''Aye! Your looking at the new owner of Ratail right here!''
His hand came down, pointing at Mathis to the prince's surprise as the bar erupted into mayhem with drinks and clothing flying into the air. Regal came and pulled the prince by the belt down to his level, swirling his decrepit hand and in a flare of autumn brown a old piece of parchment appeared, as Mathis read the document a tear was forming in his eyes, he wiped it clear and folded the paper, putting it away safe and proclaimed to the bar drowning out the screams,
''I hope you will enjoy working with me! Welcome to the start of something special! Welcome to...Tysol Industries!''
The bar all crowded the new members as the all thanked and said there thanks, Mathis smiled and gave them back while Kyu tried to run out the bar and Bee only coldly nodded at them all as Regal was sitting at the bar once more with Elias now sitting next to him,
''Little fucker...Changed his last name so I had no idea...Guess you were right about that guy then eh?''
Regal smiled as he sipped his drink and spoke to himself more than the goliath,
''Well then you crazy Orcish monk...You called the future.''
The mourning started moving into the day in its full glory as the bar started to empty, bodies falling and barely able to laugh coherently as the crew, Elias and Regal sat around the centre table, the druid rubbed his chin before speaking,
''So you want a way to communicate with someone? With no link? Are you serious?''
Mathis sipped his drink before he responded,
''Does knowing the name of his Crypt Scythe count as a link?''
''Actually yes...Fine let us hear it and I can prepare a connection by the suns setting...I'm old and have drunk quite a lot ya see…''
Kyu nodded along thinking that the old man just did not link the sun before he spoke up.
"How Do you connect to a soul weapon over a hundred miles away? I thought you had to touch it? You do with your dark weapon Seirei.''
Mathis looked over to the angel and finished his drink, pulling out another and pressing the cap on the edge of the table and bringing his left hand down, making it fly into the air like a champagne cork before he spoke,
''No...Buddy...Crypt Scythes are...Basic man made versions of Sword contracts that they made after the contracts were locked away...I know this because of Lytesbane.''
Bee turned to Mathis and asked,
''So how does it...Talk? It's a weapon right?''
Mathis looked and laughed as Bee turned to Kyu who only shrugged making Bee ask the angel,
''Wait...He talks to his weapon but you don't? How does this crap work?!''
Mathis stopped his laughter before he spoke,
''It needs to taste blood of a enemy to release it's voice...You want to see?''
Bee and Kyu nodded before the prince stood and turned to Regal,
''I'll be here as the sun sets so you better be to.''
''Your ship is outside Ratail if you want to go set up your new mine...I will be here.''
The three moved to outside the bar as the old dwarf laughed as Elias stood also,
''Well I should go and restock and open up...Wish I could say it was a nice time away but afraid not...Now I got to walk back to the mines and grab everything...I'll See you later Regal.''
He waved the goliath away before he looked over to the young human female behind the bar,
''Evelyn! I need to see your siblings at some point before the day ends!''
The woman looked with confusion before she spoke with a soft but dark inflection,
''Why would you need them?''
He only smiled as he moved to the bar to continue his conversation.
The crew all stood outside with many onlookers stopping and cheering there new heroes as Mathis took his step with a outstretched hand, kicking a blade into existence from a black flame as the shaft and guard formed before it rested on the princes shoulder, he looked at Kyu,
''Say it's name birdie''
The angel held out his hand before he spoke,
''Scarlet Scream.''
The blade materialised in a vibrant white, shining more divine than his normal aura would and revealing the dagger once more, The long six inch blade that curved slightly near the tip, Pommel and handle a pure white with different phases of the moon littering the weapon but now the old look of the blade was gone and replaced with a brilliant grey line down the flat of the blade and the metal itself looked a brighter shade, from a vibrant grey to a dull white. Kyu spun the blade around his palm before sheathing the dagger on his belt,
"Ah...n-nice blade...g-good blade."
Kyu said, talking to the blade like a child holding the grip softly as he spoke. Looking to Mathis for approval as he raises his finger then lowered it,
"It's not a dog Kyu… you don't need to treat it like that plus it's asleep so it can't even hear you."
The crews attention was broken by the bellowing laugh of Elias as he approached from the doors,
''Well sorry to cut your lesson short but it's time to show you ya new mine...Needs some work but it was rich with veins when it was last open, your ship will be there to so let's go!''
Mathis looked at Kyu and spoke once more as the goliath walked past them towards the plateaus,
''To send it back simply release it and don't think okay?''
He released Lytesbane and as it dissipated in black flames once more before it hit the ground making Kyu nod and pull the dagger out and throw it in the air as it shined away as it spun.
The crew then followed the man back up to the mine's entrance that they walked past earlier with it's old and dying wood supports making Mathis laugh as he touched them, walking in to see the massive mouth that seemed to stretch up a hundred feet and open out a hundred feet as well. Dust and cobwebs littered the area but shines of gold and silver and something that looked like a mix of both sat on a large wooden table, Mathis made his way to it as the others started to make their way in behind him, noticing the fresh wooden supports all lined up free of dust and residue closer to the middle he got until he saw three veins of gold, silver and Protoral, the oldest and rarest of any magical element on this world and here was a vein the size of a house just laying there along with the the gold and silver being even bigger, making the green eye take a shine of grey and the violet take a musky yellow before he shouted,
''Well it looks like we can do this quicker than I thought! Bee you mould the earth and build four huts! One bigger than most that we can use for storage for now and three that we can use as makeshift homes! Kyu start using the fresh timber and replace the supports! Elias help the bird! I will take the supplies back to your shop with the ship and also meet with Regal!''
The two members of the crew nodded but Elias looked puzzled before he responded,
'S-Sure but...Regal said he was going to sleep!''
Mathis walked past him to see a tarp covering a large object by the door before ripping it off revealing the ship before it was engulfed in a dark flare and disappeared before Mathis went to walk out the door,
''Don't worry about that, I just need to talk with him! Give me your keys!''
The goliath sighed before he pulled out a keyring that could be worn as a crown by the prince and slung it thirty feet to him, he caught it and moved out of the mines as the crew began to get to work,
They did not know how long but the sun had finished its cycle by the time they were down and walked outside making Bee think aloud,
''Where the fuck is he now?''
''Most likely with the dwarf to communicate with Wilt. Shouldn't that be obvious?''
Bee turned to see Kyu making a smug face looking like a pale imitation of the prince's sass. Bee turned away from the angel bussing dust and dirt out of beard while speaking allowed.
The prince had finished moving the multiple boxes into the large blacksmith shop as he laughed looking around and spoke to himself,
''Tall guy so no surprise the roof is so high...Right old man?''
Mathis looked towards the window to see a small black crow that turned into Regal as he entered and spoke,
''So you have your fathers senses eh...I have set up the communications if you would-''
''What do you know of my father?''
Regal sat down and sighed before he set the circle with his stick leaving brown shavings of his staff before he activated it and showing Elias as he spoke,
''The prince will be with me for the night...Continue your work.''
Before Elias could respond he ended the communication before speaking to the man,
''Take a seat...I will tell you what I know.''
Well it seems the prince's tale has only just begun and as me and you both already know he will soon face trials that suit his title of a god's right hand...You think that will make him weaker? Poor fool seems to forget he was already a right hand for a much more prominent god...Yes I know that it is now of a forgotten god but I believe Daedalus regained his fame and power through a Orc monk finding his story and reminding the world of them...You care to remember who that was? Of course not. Petty fool...let us continue then.