"…That does sounds possible…"
Silence weighed down on the table while she told them her theories.
The inn was empty expect for the owner of the inn- a thin man in his early forties-who went inside to take a nap.
Anatole drummed his fingers on the table. "The situation is more dire that I initially thought."
"I am only saying this is a hunch. I am not sure yet."
"Even so it wouldn't hurt for us to prepared," Sylvester said. "Also since we are on the same subject after dropping Claudina last night I felt a strange aura coming from the jungle."
Oriane raised her hand. "I felt it too from the beginning but last night was especially strong." She frowned. "The aura was…strange. If I have another sense of it I may be able to tell properly."
'The saints of Lord Uranus are sensitive to auras. I heard if they concentrated they could feel the sensation of the grass growing. It must be one of Lord Uranus' blessings.'
"We should come up with a plan against it."
"Then let's leave Miss Fairy and Ana to it!" Sullivan said eagerly jumping off his seat.
"Great idea! Since they are the brains of the team the brawns should go train." Shulia also followed him.
"Then Anatole I leave her in your care." Sylvester stood up. "Both of you are intelligent and cool headed. I am sure you will figure out a way."
'This bastard/wench is the furthest thing from cool headed!' Claudina and Anatole simultaneously thought.
Oriane hesitated but ultimately Sylvester led her out by the arm.
Claudina and Anatole were left on the table
They looked at each other as the others left through the door. "Must be difficult dealing with them," she said sympathy on her face.
"We rarely have joint missions together and meet once or twice a year so I don't mind." He put down his mug. "Also stop putting a mask for every occasion. At least don't wear one in front of me. It's bothersome."
"Tsk!" 'This man can read me like a book. Should…I kill him? The others are easy to take down.' "Says the man who wears a veil every waking hour."
"It's for reasons."
"Sure." She turned away still cross legged. "I suppose we should come up with a way."
"Yes you will go search the jungle with Sylvester and Oriane since they are sensitive to auras."
"So while I collect evidence of who or what is there, you can make shackles with Holy magic with the others. If whoever is doing it have Anti Holy magic, it will be quite problem."
Anti Holy magic; it was different from Holy magic which is purer than any other magic and closely associated with god's magic. It cannot be called demonic magic because it was too pure for that nor can it be called Holy magic because it was too sinister. However it was closely related to demonic magic. Anti Demonic magic also followed the same principle expect it was related to Holy magic.
Anatole reached his coat and took out a book. The book had a red leather cover, scarlet pages and a gold chain was linked to it while gold carvings were embedded into the cover. The book contained no title but Claudina didn't need one to identify it. It was clear what it was.
How Chronos has Holy books that are holy yet unholy the other gods' have similar books.
"Did you sneak it out?" She sat on the edge of her seat. No one other than the god and their saint is allowed to read them. The books were guarded in the highest security so seeing out in the open was a surprise.
"No. Lord Eros threw it over my head while I was leaving." Claudina looked up from admiring the rubies encrusted on the gold plating. "I know. His behavior is a concern to many. Last time he went outside was a recent birthday of the Ruler's son. He replaced the prepared speech with insulting slurs for the foreign guests. It nearly caused a diplomatic catastrophe. So much cleaning up afterwards."
A snort was all the warning Anatole had when the dam busted. Claudina laughed. Not the one pitched one or the cold one but a genuine one in ages. She laughed so much she had to lean on the table for support as her shoulders rolled and trembled.
"Please stop."
"Oh, oh, oh dear! Lord Eros sounds to be an absolute delight to be around! Only insulting slurs? I would have added more than that!"
"Saintess this isn't a laughing matter."
She sniffed. "Alright I will stop." Her stomach was hurting with how much she laughed. 'I haven't laughed like this since I was eleven!'
She peered over the book. "Then I am guessing this is our trump card? But will you be alright? You are going to get hurt too if you use it."
"There is way to distribute the pain if there are multiple saints. Obviously I'll ask them first."
"Then I refuse to be burdened with it. I don't like pain so share it amongst the others."
He gripped the book. Veins pulsed out from black gloves. "…Very well. But I wasn't meaning to use it on you the first place. I am worried something might happen to the future if you got injured."
"Aren't you thoughtful?" She rolled her eyes.
He signed. "For now this should be enough. Come back after scouting. Then we will proceed."
"Alright~"
"Nearly forgot. Here," he said while reaching again in his coat. He produced a small hand sewn drawstring bag. He placed it in front of her. "You said you wanted to eat it."
'I wanted to eat something? I don't remember anything like that though.' She bought it up to her nose and sniffed it. It smelled sugary and sweet.
"I am not poisoning you."
Curious she opened it.
Inside were caramelized cherries individually wrapped in pink wax paper. She looked back to Anatole who looked off in the other direction.
She pulled on out, un-wrapped it and popped it into her mouth. The sugar and slight juice of the cherry mixed deliciously in her mouth. She hummed at the exquisite taste. She quickly chewed it and greedily reached in the bag for more
"Pftt!"
She looked up from un-wrapping the second wax paper. "Did you just laugh?" she asked. It was the first time she heard Anatole laugh. Even the others haven't heard it. He quickly composed himself. "You are mistaken."
"Were you laughing at me?" She bought her hands under her chin, the candies forgotten. "No. Eat your sweets."
She narrowed her eyes playfully. "If you say so~" She also avoided talking about how red his ears were.
She went back to her sweets.
She pressed her hand on her blushing cheeks. "Mmmmm! Sho gud~" Her words came out muffled with a few candies in her mouth. She helped herself to another one.
"Right now you look more like a normal girl than a noble Saintess. And…"
Her ears perked up. "Why are you comparing me to a normal girl? Do you actually believe a normal girl is supposed to be this beautiful?" she asked while swishing her hair back. "Or anyone for that matter?"
Anatole signed, his vile slightly lifting up. "You sure love to praise your beauty huh?" He crossed his arms while leaning forward.
"So you admit the fact I am beautiful?" she asked while grinning.
"Anyone with two eyes can see and tell you are pretty."
"Whoa! Anatole is saying the word pretty. Is the world ending?"
"I am capable of giving someone a compliment." He huffed. "You are forgetting my god is Eros. I am well acquainted in saying amorous words."
"Rigid."
"Hmm?"
"You are rigid like a clock. You should have been Chronos' saint and I should have been Lord Eros' with how flighty I am. Neither of us fits the set personification of what we are supposed to be." She had a tight smile.
Anatole thought for a moment. "I think it's good though." "Is it?" "Yes. I think we were meant to be opposite of our gods' personification. All the gods have different personalities so why shouldn't their saints? Individuality gives space for growth. And for those gods who constantly grow and never end I think it is meant to keep them grounded to reality because everyday a new individual is born. A new…personality is born."
Claudina lightly chuckled. "So you mean to say it is to keep them humbled?"
Anatole sheepishly lowered his head. "In a sense, yes. I am not fond of back biting about my god but he sometimes he tests my patience."
"I understand. Although I can never stand mine. But" She paused "he's okay I guess."
"Yeah I can agree with that." Though she couldn't see he knew he was smiling. She pushed the half empty bag of cherries toward him.
"Just this once I will share my sweets with someone else. Don't tell the others though."
"Fufufu~ Such a child." He took one and ate it behind his veil.
The island was the smallest one of the five islands that made up Whirlpool Reefs. At one side of the island was the harbor while the other had the dense jungle. Sandwiched between them was the village. Because of how dense it was and due to recent attacks rarely if ever the villagers venture inside.
Sylvester, Claudina and Oriane set out after they packed some food and water. The others stayed in the inn. They would later on go out to buy shackles from the blacksmith.
When they were going inside, Claudina distinctively saw large footprints that didn't belong to Sylvester. 'Someone is the jungle as well.'
She didn't tell the two about the footsteps.
They walked inside the dark jungle. "Ignite!" A light sparked out form Oriane's hand and with it they ventured deep inside.
Dark green creepers hung wildly from twisted garland trees. Animal shrieks surrounded the intruders in their territory. Jutting roots covered the floor while moss made them slippery. They had to stop every few seconds to detangle themselves from jabbing branches. The air was heavy with salt and petrichor. The two scents mingled with each other releasing a smell like any other.
They walked for what seemed like hours. "For the smallest island, the jungle sure is dense," Sylvester said as he tried to detangle his hair from a particular sharp twig.
'Strange. We can't reach the center. My Holy magic is still in here so it's not a demon's doing. Maybe it's a human.' She remembered the footsteps. 'What's one more human being killed? Humans kill each other all the time for no reason. I am doing it for the greater good.'
Bringing out a pocket watch Claudina checked the time. The tree canopy was so dense there was no light down in the jungle floor. They had been walking for three hours now. "Let's stop for a break."
They stopped to sit down, ate some food and once again they started walking. This time though Claudina tied a ribbon on a tree trunk. They walked some more and Claudina saw the ribbon again. Not sure yet she tied a knot on it.
Again they passed the ribbon.
She stopped dead in her tracks. "We have been walking in circles?" she whispered before loudly adding. "Stop!" She dug out her watch. It still showed it had been three hours since they entered. It wasn't broken not when the hands were still moving.
Realization hit her like a ton of bricks
They stopped and looked behind them to see Claudina staring at a tree. A ribbon was tied to it. "We are going in circles. And," she held up her watch. "we are trapped in time loop." Oriane's eyes widened while Sylvester frowned.
A time loop; a power wielded by Chronos, sometimes his saints and rarely by some humans who were born with it. A time loop is a loop where time has stopped for a period of time that has a beginning and an end. If somebody enters it through the beginning and they reach till the end of it they will instantly be transported back to the beginning where everything is reset creating an endless loop. Sense of time is completely lost in here. One could feel like they were in the time loop for days but outside only one second passed and vice versa. Even if the person in the time loop becomes aware of it they can't easily escape.
"Of all the things it's a time loop."
"Sylvester do you have the blessing for this?"
"No I don't."
"Neither do I. Ugh! We can't create a time loop then!"
"Why would you create another time loop?" Oriane asked.
"To create a singularity. If we could make a time loop, it will clash against the one we are trapped in. It would either create a bigger one than its capacity or it will fight for the place of time loop thus nullifying it."
"…Such a way existed?" Sylvester asked wonderstruck.
"It does. I was the one that formed this theory. It is my thesis paper in the academy. The mage tower was was really interested in it."
"That's…impressive."
"Isn't everything that I do is impressive? But still we need to get out of here!"
"But how?"
"Hello? Is somebody there?"
A voice echoed in the jungle accompanied by frenzied animals. "Can anyone hear me? Hello? Please?"
"Maybe we can still escape! If somebody interrupts the time loop we can still get out!" Oriane said excitedly. "Yes we are over here!"
A loud gasp of relief reached them. They could hear rustling of thorny bushes and low grunts of pain.
Out from the thicket came a bedraggled cape wearing man. Oriane bought the light over to the gasping man. He had thick brown hair that was ruffled with leaves and twigs. Light illuminated his yellow eyes encircled by red. He was quite good looking despite his plain clothes.
"Thank you so much! I entered the jungle and then I realized I was lost."
"Of course!"
Claudina looked at her watch. The face wobbled before time was moving again. She saw it was half past twelve; an hour after they left. She looked up.
The man, who now gave his name as Ash, explained he was a travelling botanist visiting the island for new plants and entered inside the jungle to find some more. Unfortunately he lost his way.
She raised her head haughtily. 'Believable lie but let's see what you are made of.' "Then Mister Ash, please be on your way." 'You helped us but I am sure it is to see who interrupted you. You don't want others to see your dirty secret.'
They looked up. Ash looked down. "Come now Claudina let him come along with us."
"We are not botanist or herbalist so I don't see why he should come with us. Plus our work is dangerous for someone so…" she paused and looked Ash up and down causing him to shrink. "…weak." 'Take the hint fools. Who in their right mind would enter the jungle right after an attack last night? If he is here to research for plants he should know about the attack. Clearly he is suspicious'
Sylvester at least seems to have gotten the hint. "She's right. Sir Ash I hope you understand. If you concerned you your safety I myself will send you back."
"N-no! I will come along with you!"
'Already slipping off? At least stay in your role to be convincing.'
"Please I need to come with you! There- there is an important plant there! Yes a rare and important plant! If I don't collect it now it will take a hundred moons to remain in the same spot for the plant to grow. Not to mention the extreme weather conditions required! It can cure so many illnesses!"
"What a miraculous plant it must be!" Oriane turned to Claudina. "Let's take him along with us. We were only supposed to scout remember?"
'Rare and important plant my foot! Even I know such a plant grows in the ice caves of the northern kingdom. And it's a poisonous herb!'
Sylvester glanced at Claudina who signaled with her finger. She signed. "Alright since you are so insistent you can come." She added strictly "However we will not be responsible if you get hurt."
"That's fine with me!"
"Suit yourself."
'I am going to tear open your secrets if it's the last thing I do.'