"Lucas! If you don't hurry up, I'm going to be late for the ceremony!" A young girl's voice carried throughout the house, waking a boy from his slumber.
"What...?" It took Lucas a few seconds to process what his sister had said. "WAIT! LATE FOR WHAT?!"
Lucas jumped out of his bed and flung open his closet door. It banged against the wall, but he didn't care. Today was the Day of Awakening, where his sister and her classmates would undergo a special ceremony to unlock their aura cores.
The aura core, a mysterious source of energy that resided in all living creatures, and provided the world with magic. By unlocking these cores, a person would be granted the power to wield aura, which came in the form of incredible abilities.
Alas, very few races could naturally unlock their cores, and humans were not one of them.
Instead, they had to go through a process called Submersion, which forcefully opened the aura core. Over time, this process became a special ceremony known throughout the nation of Delahost as the Day of Awakening. And it was this exact ceremony Lily was going to be late too if Lucas didn't hurry up.
In his rush, Lucas threw on random items of clothing, not worried if they matched or not. Racing out of his room, he grabbed his leather pack and a hardened loaf of bread before searching for his sister.
"Lily? Where are you?"
"I'm by the front door!"
Lucas followed the sound of his sister's voice to find a young girl putting on a pair of white boots at the end of the hallway. Her curly brown hair cascaded over the ivory cloak she wore, while her amber eyes sparkled in the morning light.
Hearing Lucas approach, the girl glanced up.
"Took you long enough... Wait, you're not going out like that, are you?" She asked, eyeing Lucas's outfit warily. "I thought you planned to make a good impression at the Guildhall? Hopefully join the other Adventurers on one of their quests? "
"What do you mean? This is the best I have," Lucas said, glancing down at his attire. He wore a pair of worn boots and a ratty black cloak, which barely covered his body. His wavy grey hair was a mess too, and it lightly covered his sky-blue eyes. "You don't think they'll accept me like this?"
"Well... Maybe someone will..." Lily glanced at Lucas's cloak again. "But I know I wouldn't."
"Oh? I see how it is," Lucas said, shrugging his shoulders. "It seems your older brother is no longer good enough for you."
Lily smirked and sauntered out the door.
"Maybe you are, maybe you're not. I'll tell you if you can get me to the academy on time."
Lucas shook his head with a small smile and followed his sister out, latching the door behind him.
'It would have been nice if Mother and Father were still alive to see us off,' Lucas thought, glancing up at the wooden cabin. Several years ago, during a dangerous beast raid, their parents had perished, leaving Lucas to take care of his younger sister.
Turning around, he realized Lily was already halfway down the path. After tossing his leather pack over his shoulder, he ran to catch up.
"Could you slow down? I haven't been able to finish my bread yet."
Lily rolled her eyes but slowed her pace to match Lucas.
"It's not my fault you're stuck eating that. If you had woken up earlier, you could have had a delicious breakfast made by me, your amazing sister."
Lucas crinkled his nose and looked away. 'Maybe it was a good thing I decided to sleep in...'
Of course, he didn't say that out loud as he knew better than to insult her cooking. Instead, he turned his attention to the towering Duskpines which surrounded their home. With trunks wider than a full-grown man, and branches too high to reach, they created a canopy of unimaginable beauty.
As the two siblings walked in silence, a crisp breeze stirred the air, knocking a few of the Duskpine's needles loose from their branches. They fell with a sweeping grace, adding to the already thick layer that coated the forest floor.
This was a common occurrence in the Dawnhollow Forest, and the needles would soon be collected by the farmers of the town. With how rich they were in plant aura, they made incredible fertilizer.
Lucas watched in quiet fascination as a bundle fell towards Lily's head. However, the moment before it hit her, a gust of wind changed its direction. Surprised, Lucas glanced at Lily, but she didn't seem to have noticed.
'Was that just a coincidence, or...' Lucas's thoughts trailed off as another idea popped into his head. 'No... She couldn't have awakened her ability, could she? Without the help of the ceremony?'
Such things were unheard of, but not impossible. So with his curiosity piqued, Lucas scooped a pinecone off the ground and bounced it in his hand.
After making sure Lily wasn't paying attention, he tossed it through the air, and slowly watched it sail towards the back of her head.
'Thump.'
"Ouch!" Lily glanced down at the pinecone, and then back at Lucas. "Did you just throw that at me?"
"What? No, it probably fell from one of the branches," Lucas replied. He pretended to search the trees for the culprit. 'Hmm. It looks like I was just overthinking things.'
Lily narrowed her eyes but left it at that. Turning around, she marched the rest of the way into town, which bustled in the early morning.
Placed at the center of the Dawnhollow forest, the town of Withro echoed with the shouts of laughter and joy as people rushed through the wide streets in preparation for the approaching ceremony. Colorful banners hung from trees, and mouth-watering scents wafted through the air, causing many stomachs to rumble.
"Wow! Look at that, Lucas!" Lily exclaimed. Her eyes sparkled as she peered through a nearby store window.
Behind the pane of glass rested a sapphire pendant, positioned neatly on a velvet blanket. A silver chain threaded its hook, while a violet butterfly with emerald eyes held tightly to the sea-blue gem.
Lily sighed wistfully. "I wonder how much it costs."
"Probably too much for us to afford," Lucas said. He pulled Lily away from the window before she could see anything else she wanted. "Come on, we don't have much time."
Lily puffed out her cheeks but allowed Lucas to lead her through the crowd, the two of them nimbly slipping through the morning frenzy. All around, the sounds of women haggling over the prices of cloth, or their husbands discussing the craftsmanship of silver-edged axes and tightly strung bows filled the streets. Left unattended, their children ran up and down the dirt road, shrieking with excitement as they swung their wooden swords.
'Looks like it's going to be an exciting day,' Lucas thought, escaping the bustling crowd. From there on out, their journey to the academy was much smoother, only lasting another few minutes.
An old, but sturdy building met their eyes as they approached the end of the road, supported by two massive Duspines. A small courtyard circled the Academy, creating a place for the children to play, while a group of teachers worked tirelessly in a nearby clearing.
"Hey! I need that beam higher up!" A man shouted.
He dived to the side as a wooden beam whipped past his head, carried by a gust of wind. As it flew away, he picked himself up and dusted off his cloak before glaring at a man on the other side of the clearing. "Damn it, Levent! I told you it needed to be higher! You're going to kill someone at this rate!"
"Sorry! Won't happen again!" The man called back. He focused his attention back on the beam and used the wind to lift it higher. It flipped through the air before slowing to a stop above a hole in the center of the field.
Lucas watched in envy as the beam dropped into the hole, forming the base of a platform with a low thump. This was the same way most things got done in Withro, where people used their abilities to quickly finish tasks that would normally take hours.
'Must be nice...' Lucas thought, before quickly shaking his head. Today was about his sister, and he didn't have time for self-pity.
"Alright, this is it. Do you have everything you need?" Lucas asked, glancing at Lily. When she didn't respond, he gave her a light nudge. "Hey, you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Lily said. She glanced at the wooden stage before looking back at Lucas. "You promise you'll be there on time, right? The ceremony starts at sunset, and you can't be late."
"Don't worry, there's no way in the world I would miss it," Lucas said, patting his sister's head. "I'll see you later, okay?"
Lily looked up at Lucas one last time before nodding and running off. Along the way, she bumped into two of her friends, and the three of them excitedly entered the building together. Seeing this, Lucas smiled and turned around, planning to get as much done as possible throughout the day.
'I guess I should start with the Guildhall. Philo should be working today, and maybe she can help me find a quest or two,' Lucas thought, hoisting his leather pouch farther up his shoulder.
Ever since their parents passed away, Lucas had spent most of his time taking on quests from the Guildhall. Usually, he would only accept the tedious ones, which others refused to do, but every once in a while, he would participate in a more dangerous one.
Fortunately, the Guildhall allowed anyone over the age of sixteen to take on quests, and they provided a few coins for each one successfully completed. Depending on the difficulty of the quest, and how many Adventures participated, a person could garner a lot of wealth this way.
Lucas left the academy grounds and headed towards the tallest Duskpine in the valley, which was also where the Guildhall resided. Built from the toughest of wood available, and protected by a multitude of barriers, it represented the strength and pride of the town.
Adventurers filled the surroundings, garbed in fancy suits of armor, while deadly weapons hung from their sides and backs. A few chuckled when they saw Lucas, but he ignored their derisive stares and continued forward to the heavy wooden doors.
Along the way, he happened to pass by a group of Adventurers warily discussing a nearby town. Their voices were low, but Lucas overheard their conversation with his keen sense of hearing.
"I'm telling you, the entire town was wiped out in a single night! Not even the women or children were spared!" The first man muttered, a hint of panic to his voice. One of his eyebrows twitched uncontrollably as he tightened his grip on a dagger.
"That's ridiculous! If such a thing really happened, I'm certain the Elders would have told us about it!" A female adventure responded, but even she sounded uncertain. "What do you think, Kiro? Can you believe this nonsense?"
"I don't know. But if it's true, then you better pray it doesn't have anything to do with our current quest."
The one who responded was a young man with short black hair and dark green eyes. He stood at the front of the group, with two swords strapped to his back, and a silver parchment in his hands. Lucas caught a glimpse of a golden Duskpine emblazoned on the back, revealing it to be a quest from the Elders themselves.
'The Elders haven't released a quest in ages! Could it be true? Could an entire village have been wiped out in a single night?'
Lucas shuddered at the thought, but his worry only lasted for a brief moment. Even if such a thing happened elsewhere, there was no way it could happen to Withro. Large stone walls protected their town, and their guards were all trained warriors.
Lucas pushed the thought away and swung open the doors to the Guildhall. A beautiful hall met his gaze, supported by large wooden pillars, and a decorated arched roof.
The scent of freshly sanded pine hung in the air as Lucas made his way to the counter by the far wall.
A beautiful girl adorned by a green cloak and hazel eyes sat behind it, her chin resting upon her hand as she surveyed the room.
"Good morning, Philo. How's the job treating you?" Lucas asked, stepping up to the counter. When the girl saw him, she straightened her back and took on a serious demeanor.
"Terrible, absolutely terrible! I'm stuck in here, surrounded by men teeming with testosterone, and reeking of sweat!" Philo said, a playful glint hiding in her eyes. "You wouldn't happen to know of a way out of here, now would you?"
"Sorry, I'm afraid not," Lucas said. He held up his hands with an apologetic smile.
"I feared as much. Guess I'll be stuck here for eternity," Philo said, before breaking down into laughter. It took a moment for her to calm herself.
Wiping away a tear, she returned to her proper behavior. "So what brings you in today? Another boring quest?"
"Hey! They're not boring, just practical!"
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say."
Philo stifled a giggle as she pulled out a heavy book bound by emerald roots and golden thread. Flipping through the worn pages, she stopped on one decorated with mushrooms, each one surrounded by a shimmer of red and blue lights.
"Ah, here we go! This quest should fit perfectly with your requirments. What do you think?"
Philo spun the book around to show him the quest. It was an easy one, which simply required him to gather thirteen Shimmer Shrooms.
Grinning, Lucas went to accept the quest, but before he could, a high-pitched ringing filled his ears. Furrowing his brows, he turned and scanned the Guildhall, but nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary.
Confused, he rubbed his ears and listened again, but the sound had faded by then.
'That's strange... I'm certain I heard-'
'BOOM!'
Lucas's thoughts were cut short as the far wall of the Guildhall exploded, sending wood and glass flying through the air. A broken shard whistled past Lucas's cheek, leaving behind a deep gash before embedding itself in Philo's neck.
Screams and cries rang out as the Guildhall fell into chaos, but Lucas ignored it all, his gaze solely fixated on Philo.
Blood squirted from her neck as she staggered to her feet, gasping for breath. With her nails clawing at her throat, she fell against the wall, while her eyes pleaded with Lucas to help.
"No... No, this can't be real..." Lucas said, stumbling back. Without a second glance, he turned and ran from the Guildhall, leaving Philo to die, an expression of betrayal permanently etched upon her face.