For months and months they felt alone and feeling helpless when no one had ever come to their rescue, with the armoured guy revealing himself to them, with his glowing scimitar and soothing voice, they felt a sense of relief.
They cried, wailed, and screamed. The tears and disappointment they have been keeping to themselves, afraid it would only worsen the old man's anger and take it out on them, they silenced themselves.
"Is this all of you?" the silver head asked, "no one was dragged outside, right?"
It would be a pain if there are kids outside the cave.
"No one's outside, sir."
The eldest child in the group said it in a shaky voice as he raised his arm, a sign to surrender himself to their savior.
"Good," the armoured guy looked around once again, "can you stand?"
The kid nodded.
Walking towards the further side where the kids who had passed out were piled up, the guy kneeled down to see if they were still breathing. His mission is to save them all, if he failed to bring one living child, he would curse himself.
"Those who have the energy, help the other kids." They all started moving with his command, "I'll find a way to carry out those who are passed-out."
He began releasing some mana to the sword and summoned a mist, hardening it to create a bed big enough to carry all of the kids. Since his mana isn't that much as he relies on his swordsmanship and fighting skills, he placed the kids gently on the cloud and let it carry them.
"Let's go," he said to the conscious kids and placed his hand to the eldest, "hold my hand."
The kid nodded and held on to three of his fingers tightly, he didn't want to separate with him. He wants to be saved.
Every single one of them were holding hands tightly, following the armoured guy outside the cave and into the woods.
"Are we going home?" a smaller child asked.
He turned back and smiled at the kid, "yes, I will send you home today."
He noticed how that kid is smaller than anyone, he thought she's the youngest out of everyone and so he picked her up and carried her. She does not look like a kid from the area, as the majority of the people who live in the northeastern side, they all have blue, dark, and gray eyes. But this kid he carries possess a lovely amber eyes mixed with blue tone.
He thought one of her parents must be from another region of the kingdom.
"Big brother," the eldest kid tugged at him, "how did you find us?"
"I used my instincts," he answered simply. Telling stories to tired children could only drain their energy. He needed them to save it at least until they arrived near the village.
"Let's go kids."
The three rubies tasked to investigate the happenings fastened their pace, and as soon as they got out of the crystal cave, their eyes alerted.
"Viv," Verin called his attention, "you take the left side and investigate. Follow the locations too and see what you can find. Don't forget to ask some locals."
Viv nodded and hopped down on a tree branch, going on his own way to do the investigation on his own. For the first time since he met Thenea.
"Serene," she turned to Verin, "you take the right side and do as I told Viv."
She nodded.
"Make sure you won't be making any troubles during the investigation."
"I know," she rolled her eyes, "I will be calm."
Serene went down on her way, this left Verin to scout the middle part of the village. He halted and stayed on top of someone's house, "this will take long."
The village is big, and with the number of houses and structures they have, this will not be easy. Remembering how the residents are not that cooperative the moment they set foot inside, they might have a hard time capturing the man. Especially saving the kids.
Verin groaned and messed up his hair in frustration.
Hopefully, just for the sake of those who were missing, they will not block them out and accept them. Even just for a short while.
The silver-headed tall man walked slowly for the children's sake; they grip tightly as they scan the area they are not familiar with. This part of the town was never explored by kids their age, they are always shooed away by the woodchoppers whenever they get caught as it could be dangerous for them to get lost in the maze of gigantic trees.
Not only that, just in the middle of it lives the most poisonous creature in the region, the scorpion they call The Golden Sting.
These creatures are not the usual black scorpion, or those who have a red spot on their tail. Nor whole red shell scorpion, or the red claw ones. These are determined with their unusual color, a beautiful yellow leaning to gold. That is where it got its name from.
The Golden Sting is also given the nickname, the morning light's trickster. The adults call them this as how it would shine for a few seconds during the sunrise when the early rays bounce its light on the scorpion's shell.
Its sting can cause extreme pain and swelling where the person got stung. Within the early days when the person gets stung, they have the possibility to feel nauseous and spasm, causing them to vomit every now and then.
The area where they get sting could also result in numbness, but before that, the person can feel a tingling sensation and extreme pain. But on a more serious note, if not treated immediately, it could lead to death.
The Golden Sting is the main reason why they don't allow the kids to stray far from the gates; the death the tiny beast accumulated every year is between four to six deaths.
"Big brother," one of them called their savoir, "can we please hurry? We are not allowed in this part of the town."
The armoured guy nodded and widened the cloud he created, having those who walked ride on it to rest their little feet.
"Why don't you join them?" he told the kid but he only shook his head.
"I will feel much safer if I hold your hand."
He smiled, "that won't be a problem."
The older guy held the little one's hand and they continued on their journey.
As they keep walking through the woods, and the slow night is getting later and later, the small kid the swordsman had in his arm rubbed her eyes open and noticed something ahead.
"Big brother?" her soft voice alerted the man.
"What's over there?"
She pointed to where it looked like someone taking a rest within the woods, but as they moved closer, they soon found out it was a little child just like the ones he saved.
"There are others?" he panicked and tried setting down the little kid he's holding to the eldest child's care. "Watch over her for me?"
The kid nodded and watched him collect the four children sprawled on the grass, all passed out.
The droopy eyes of Viv alerted as he kept hopping from one roof to another, carefully, yet intensely scanning the area for some leftover evidence. He had already checked the map earlier inside the record room with the others, and when he received the pinned locations on the west side of the village, he moved steadily as he memorized where to go.
On the fourth house he hopped on, an old couple were talking outside of the house. He remembered what Verin told him and went along with his mission, jumping in front of the old couple, they screamed in surprise.
"Hello," he greeted blankly.
"Uh," the two looked at each other before greeting back, "hello."
All of a sudden, something switched inside Viv, he thought if he didn't do this properly and keep hiding behind his façade as a silent person it might displease his teammates.
"Are you one of the families whose child was kidnapped?" he asked without stammering, serious with every word he said.
They gulped, 'is this the presence of a higher rank?'
"Yes, we are."
Viv was happy they cooperated.
"Is it alright if I ask you a couple of questions regarding this case?"
He watched Thenea, he watched Verin, he watched Lance, and most especially, he watched Lord Ember do his work while the elder kept an eye on him. He learned from the best.
"Of course," the old man nodded as he nudged his wife and whispered, "fix the young man a refreshment!"
"There's no need for that," Viv kindly shakes his hands in front of them, "please."
"Nonsense!" the old woman spat, "you will help us find our children. This is nothing."
Viv scratched the back of his head, he surrendered.
As he kept asking, and then answering honestly, Viv had somewhat gotten a clue.
"Everyone within the gates all experienced that?"
"Yes," they both answered quickly.
"Alright," he stood up, "I will go ask around some more. Thank you for this."
Viv raised a cookie and left the couple's house. To his surprise, as shabby as it looks on the outside, the interior looks so refined. Just like the council's hall.
He again hopped on top of the roof, searching for people to question while happily munching on the cookie he got from the first couple.
On the tenth roof he hopped on, something struck in him. He stopped and turned back, analyzing the pattern on the roofs he's been on. The residence of the victims.
'Zigzag?'
Viv pulled out the paper Verin gave him and read it again, it is indeed in a zigzag pattern. Is there a reason why the abducted children weren't chosen randomly?
Is there something in the design of the village's houses?
A lot of questions stormed Viv's peaceful mind, his head aches. As he cannot take the pain anymore, he shook his head and succumbed to his defense, clearing his thoughts and went back to his silent façade. If he thinks and talks more, the more his past memories will squeeze in and remind him of the violent past he's trying so much to replace with happy memories.
Memories with his ruby teammates.
Viv summoned a mana on his earpiece and started talking, not knowing the more mana he puts in it, the louder his voice will be heard on the other end, causing for the others who listen to throb their ear.
"Yo," Viv said flatly, but the others are already taking off the earpiece to spare their ears.
"Please put enough mana on the earpiece, Viv, don't let our ears bleed off." Lance complains.
"Bleed," the shorter guy blinked, his pretty blue eyes darkened.
"No, no, no," their commander panicked. "I meant to say, how was it?"
Viv immediately snapped and remembered what he's supposed to tell them, "zigzag!"
He sounds so happy, his energy is overflowing. He accomplished one thing, figuring out the pattern of the abduction. Unfortunately, they couldn't understand what he meant.
"Zigzag?" Lance blinked, "what do you mean by that?"
Thenea decided to take over, "where did you see a zigzag?"
"House roof zigzag," he panicked, ``what if he is wrong?
"You hopped on the roof?" she asked, he nodded but they couldn't see it. Somehow, Thenea had a feeling he's nodding.
"And it formed a zigzag?"
Still, he nodded.
Thenea finally understood what he meant, being with him for years for seven days a week, she learned how to read Viv; she turned to Lance, "the sinner could have possibly followed a zigzag pattern in taking the children."
"Hmm," Lance had his fingers on his chin and said to them "what was the age range of the abducted children?"
"Around two to five," Serene answered.
"What happened in your end, Serene?"
"I'm still on it."
Lance nodded and spoke, "keep doing what you are doing. Viv, you did a great job."
They can hear Viv giggle softly for a moment.
"Keep asking questions," he said before they turned off their earpieces.
Serene was sent to the marketplace of the village where she found a lot of people, talking, selling, and just chilling. They don't seem bothered with what's happening lately. Is she still in the right place, or did she not notice entering another dimension?
They all are very lax, not even a hint of distress in their naked faces.
Serene stopped by the first store she chose and entered without announcing herself, "hey!"
Her friendly yet authoritative voice startled everyone inside, she's being loud. She entered a grill house.
"What do you want?" an old man, the owner perhaps, did not take her well.
"I'm here for the investigation," she waved her notepad, grinning mischievously. This lets her opponent, in this case, her target, know she's not playing around.
Serene sat on one stool and had her feet on top of another one, "which one should I ask first?"
The others pushed the owner towards her, he couldn't struggle as most of those who forced him were men, younger than him.
"What do you know about this case that you haven't told the soldiers yet?" she smirked.
It was only a way to scare people off and force them to admit they're hiding something, she thought it wouldn't work knowing it was Lady Edrei who ordered her men to investigate before they arrived, but seeing how this man shake under her gaze, she tilted her head.
'Eureka!'
"I noticed," the owner couldn't look her in the eyes; fidgeting his hands, "that the children that was taken were all—"
He took a glance and decided to peek at the foxy lady in front of her, but to his surprise, she's staring at him like he's a venom that needs to be rid.
He gulped and started trembling.
"They all have a connection at the mining area!" he shouted.
Serene stood up and walked up to him, tapping his shoulder, "no need to shout."
Her actions made him even more scared, "I'm sorry."
"What else do you know?" she smiled at him, but it did not put him at ease, her smile poured buckets of cold water on him.
"Some children who were taken have a father who is a miner, or a brother."
"What about those who are not?"
"Some were working as a mining staff, those who kept the recordings."
Serene nodded, and abruptly left.
The owner's knees weakened and he dropped on the cold floor, whispering "she's a monster."
'Does this have anything to do with the gems or crystals?' Serene thought, but she can't have her assumptions reported when she only had one person interviewed, she must ask some more.
Despite her efforts to gather some more information that isn't in the record, only the old man had said something useful. But whenever she brings up the question of the parents' work, they all were working at the mine. But what was with the zigzag pattern?
"Oh, we live in a pattern. We cannot have a kid in a house that has a child beside it."
Serene raised her eyebrow on one civilian's answer, "huh?"
"Well, if a child cries, it could cause a domino effect and it would be hard for the parents to calm them."
"You all are weird," she commented brutally.
The woman laughed, "That is what the outsiders think but it works for us."
"Okay," Serene nodded, "thanks."
She cracked her neck and stretched, she's tired.
"On to the next one," she told herself.
As she was on her way to the next store she spotted, wanting so much to have a cold drink from there while she asked questions, her earpiece vibrated, indicating someone's trying to communicate with them.
Not wasting any time, she put some mana on the earpiece and heard Lance, asking for updates.
"Viv, what have you found out?"
The little guy gulped first before answering, "family work mine."
Lance looked at Thenea, in desperate need of a translator for what he was trying to inform them.
"Their families work at the mine?" she asked.
"Ung, ung."
Serene sighed and everyone heard it.
"What's wrong, Serene?" Thenea asked.
"That's my report as well," she admitted, "apparently, the zigzag pattern is how they settle in this village."
"Settle?" Lance asked, not understanding it.
"They put a household with little children in a zigzag pattern to avoid a contagious crying that could distract other people and give the parents a hard time."
"Ha," Lance grimaced, "that's weird."
"Thought so," she shrugged.
"Well, Verin?" Lance asked the person who kept quiet all this time.
The others waited for him to speak but they were left with the sound of silence.
"Verin?" Lance's forehead crinkled, it is not like him to not respond especially on missions. Has something happened to him?
"Hey, Verin!"
They all are now concerned with their proxy commander, if something happened to him, or had kept him busy, the possibility of him running into the guilty party is high.
"I swear if you do not speak now, I will destroy you myself," Lance's forehead vein popped.
"I'm here," Verin said calmly, it is as though his team weren't concerned about him just a second ago.
"Where were you?" Lance shouted, he was scared for his friend.
"I was examining something," he said.
"While we were practically screaming for you?"
"I had to focus on this one," he said, not even worried about almost causing a heart attack to his old pal.
"What is it you found?" Serene asked, curious at what he discovered.
"What did you find again?" Verin asked, "About the mine."
"Ah, someone had been taking the worker's children." Lance summarized.
"This could possibly be a grudge," Thenea butted in.
"Ah," Verin somehow felt relieved at the other line, "I might have found a clue what caused all this."
Everyone froze, their heartbeat went wild, had they solved it? Even the silent Lithea who had been listening as he deciphered the words, halted.
"What did you say?" Lance said quietly as he tried to calm himself.
"I found something important," he said, "this could be the reason for what's happening inside the village."
They couldn't believe it, all those hours of no rest, will it finally be paid off?
"I want you all here with me."
Verin stood in front of a gigantic tree filled with beautiful crystal fruit, sparkling immensely, sucking in the person's amazement at the beauty it possessed. But a high ranking adventurer like him could not be easily persuaded by evil deeds. He can sense the negative energy around it.
"Who planted you here?"