Ryuzio listened patiently and carefully as Arold started explaining the situation regarding which he needed help.
"I need you to help me drive away the miners from Ezlus Mines…" Arold said quietly. "That includes the commander and the captains those skyguards are under."
"There are skyguards in these mines?" Ryuzio asked, surprised.
"Well, yes," Arold said. "The miners that extract lucentums from the Ezlus Mines are not regular miners, but skyguards. We need to drive them away because—"
"So what're we waiting for?" Ryuzio said firmly. "Let's go beat them all up!" The cavelurkers joined him, screeching loudly.
"Hold on, Zio," Arold said, stopping him in panic.
Ryuzio turned, smiling. "That's what Zyon used to call me…"
"Er…" Arold said, freckled cheeks flushing. "Sorry, it just came out. At any rate, you need to listen to the reason for driving them away first."
Ryuzio tilted his head in confusion. "Why though?"
"Er…" Arold said, wincing in confusion. "Don't you need a reason to help people…?"
"People?" Ryuzio said loudly. "We're friends, Aro! I don't need a reason to help you!"
Arold gulped, eyes flashing. "That's…fine…" He blinked, shaking his head. "But you need to know the reason for the plan to make sense to you."
"Okay…" Ryuzio said without any of his earlier enthusiasm.
"Do you see these Etherbeasts, Zio?" Arold said, pointing around. "These are cavelurkers."
"You've already told that, Aro," Ryuzio said, shrugging. "You also told me that they look different in the books."
"Exactly," Arold said, pointing to the big cavelurker. "That's one of the only two 'normal' cavelurkers remaining in these outer Ezlus Mines. But even THAT is not their true form."
"Heh?" Ryuzio said, confused. "Why're you telling me all this?"
"Do you know that all these small ones are supposed to be just as big as that one?"
"Really?" Ryuzio said, looking around at the tens of smaller caverlurkers surrounding them. "Then why're they so small?"
"Because of the skyguards," Arold said, expression darkening. "Cavelurkers used to live in the Ezlus Mines. But that was before lucentums were discovered here 12 years ago. When the mining began, the skyguards slowly drove these cavelurkers out of their natural habitat. It was easy for them, since back then, cavelurkers used to be big and few…not small and many. Etherbeasts adapt quickly, Zio, and due to the changes in the diet of these cavelurkers for the past 12 years…they adapted to being like this."
"Bastards!" Ryuzio blurted. "The skyguards threw these guys out of their own homes? I won't ever forgive them!" He paused, pointing at the "normal" cavelurker. "Wait…but then how is this one still big?"
"Did you notice how I used 'adapt' and not 'evolve'?" Arold asked. "That's because this is not how the smaller cavelurkers WANT to be. They are simply FORCED to be this way, Zio. I know this because the big one got to eat what these haven't tasted in their entire lives."
Ryuzio's eyes widened.
"That's right," Arold said with a nod. "All these are the new generation of cavelurkers. And sadly…not a single cavelurker of the previous generation survived after being thrown out of their natural habitat… They simply couldn't survive the sudden change in their diet…"
"Now I'm mad!" Ryuzio said, punching his right fist into his left palm. "Everyone should be allowed to eat what they like! The skyguards drove the cavelurkers away because they wanted to mine lucentums? What were they even doing to the skyguards!"
"They had to do it," Arold said flatly.
"What?" Ryuzio asked genuinely. "Why?"
"Because the cavelurkers and skyguards want the same thing. Lucentums."
"WHAT?" Ryuzio said, surprised. "These guys eat ROCKS!"
"It's not rocks for them," Arold explained. "Cavelurkers derive nutrition from Ether. But they don't feed on living sources. They evolved to feed on Ether from non-living sources. And due to the environment their bodies are built for…they simply can't survive without lucentums. The skyguards are taking away the same thing that these cavelurkers can't live without…"
"I see…" Ryuzio said, eyeing the small cavelurkers. "Then that means these guys won't live for long if they don't get to eat lucentums, yeah?"
"Right," Arold said with a nod. "But we can thankfully stop that. We can save all of them."
"By driving the miners away!" Ryuzio said loudly, joined again by the cavelurkers' screeches.
"We will give the cavelurkers their habitat back," Arold said with a faint smile. "And let them feed on lucentums so that they can turn back to their true forms. I know that will happen because of this one." He pointed toward the big cavelurker. "It hid with another in one of the carts carrying lucentums for loading. But the smell enticed them too much and they ate the whole cartful of lucentums. Not even minutes later, they started resembling their depictions from the books. So it's pretty clear.
"These cavelurkers NEED the lucentums they've been deprived of for over a decade. And we'll give it to them!"
"Okay!" Ryuzio said, raising a fist, screeches echoing in the cave. "Let's go!"
"Not yet!" Arold said, stopping him. "First…we need to assemble all of our forces for the attack."
"Forces?"
"Well…" Arold said, scratching his cheek. "By that I basically mean to gather every last cavelurker that lives in these outer caves."
"Okay," Ryuzio said, but then his brows rose. "How do you talk to them Aro? They seem to be your friends. Did you also beat every single one?" Because this was certainly the case with Gleam. The more he lost to Ryuzio, the more attached he got.
"Also?" Arold said, wincing uncomfortably. "So that's how you became friends with that Etherbeast you were talking about…" He sighed. "Sadly I'm not strong enough to take on this many foes. I can barely even fight."
"So then why do these guys seem to follow you?"
"Because they're just like me," Arold said absently, looking at the ground. "They also get attached too quickly…"
"Heh?"
"I-I mean…" Arold said, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I saved the two cavelurkers that snuck in carts to eat lucentums. They were captured by miners, but I came to the rescue. Ever since then, all of them trust me… They think of me as their hero."
"Awesome!" Ryuzio said with a smile. "Now I can't wait to beat those skyguards!"
"We'll have to very careful, Zio," Arold said, gulping. "Every year or so, the cavelurkers attack the miners to take back their home, even after me telling them not to. They always fail after taking down some miners."
"So those skyguards are not too strong, yeah?"
"The miners may not be," Arold said, tucking his chin, raising a finger. "But the three captains certainly are."
"So we just have to beat those three, yeah?"
Arold shook his head. "If only it were that easy," he said quietly. "The captains are strong on their own…but they serve another man. An even stronger foe. A commander of Legion 55, the man that runs everything inside the Ezlus mines: Lexnal."
"Just tell me one thing, Aro," Ryuzio said, tightening his headband. "Is the commander guy the one most responsible for kicking out all these cavelurkers from their homes?"
Arold gulped after seeing the intense expression on Ryuzio's face. "Well…yes," he said. "12 years ago, the commander who ran the operations wasn't as ruthless to the cavelurkers as this one. But ever since Lexnal came into power some five years ago…not a single cavelurker was left in the inner mines."
"Okay," Ryuzio said, turning to the exit. "I know who I need to beat up. Take me to him, Aro."
Arold ran up to beside him in a hurry. "Are you sure you can take him on? He's REALLY strong. He's a COMMANDER of a Legion for crying out loud."
"And I'm the man who's gonna be the Sky King."
Arold gulped, slowing down. He quickly shook it off as the cavelurkers started following Ryuzio out of the cave, the big one lagging behind. "B-Before that," Arold said from behind, "as I said, we need to go and gather the rest of the cavelurkers."
"Maybe we'll find Hit too," Ryuzio said. "Or maybe not…"
"Your friend?" Arold said from the side. "Well, he is the one they were following, so…"
Ryuzio nodded. "I see… So if we find those cavelurker guys, we'll also find Hit."
"That's right." Arold stepped a little ahead. "Let me show you the way. I may not be a miner, but I know these caves inside out."
"Okay."
###
Hitryel raised his chin as the man who'd clapped just now approached. 'A skyguard knows my name… Who is he—?'
"I can't believe I got to meet you in flesh," the skyguard said after stopping before him, eyes twinkling. "I'm a big fan! The name's Tolin."
"Huh?" Hitryel said, confused. "You watch…ABC?"
"Only every single day!" Tolin said passionately. "And you're one of my favorites! Can I get an autograph?"
If this man was this much of an ABC fanatic, why had he missed Hitryel's last match, the one against Maxvil?
"Sure…" Hitryel said, scratching his cheek. "But in return, I'll need you to take me to the Skybridge to Welkis."
"Then let's not waste your precious time," Tolin said, walking deeper into the cave. "Just follow my lead."
Hitryel shrugged to himself as he trailed behind the shorter man. 'This is not cheating…'
"I used to live in Sonas," Tolin said, walking with joyful steps. "That's where my fascination with the ABC began. I love to see people expressing themselves. And what better way to witness that than with pure physical pursuit?"
Hitryel cleaned his ear with a pinky. 'Shut up…'
"And what is someone like you doing here?" Tolin said, looking over his shoulder.
"That doesn't concern you," Hitryel said, pocketing his hand after slinging his bag on the other shoulder. The only thing in them was, of course, Kelty's gloves. "It'd be better for the both of us if we don't talk too much."
"Oh, man, oh, man!" Tolin said, turning his head forward with a brimming smile. "The fans always say that you're cold in person, but now that I've experienced it first hand, I can confirm that it's true."
'What's his deal?'
This man wearing a dark version of the standard skyguard uniform was definitely off. He wore some thick-framed glasses over his boxy face, his nose round and bulbous. His hair was black, combed to one side, his eyes squished shut whenever he talked or smiled.
None of it mattered, as this man was assisting Hitryel in his path.
He found himself grinning when he thought about Ryuzio. 'I'll be the first one getting to the Skybridge!'