Chapter XX: Lady Mireille Beauvale Quest Line Part 3
"So, what are we going to do?" Kanade asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Are we going to continue with the quest? Or do we wait for Ghost Lantern and Sage to get back here?"
That was a good question. Amos and Euphie were back in Lutetia, and while that wasn't too far, relatively speaking anyway, it would take them a good twenty or thirty minutes. If they didn't get lost and made a beeline straight here. And if they avoided any encounters.
I looked back at Lady Mireille and the ! over her head. She wouldn't wait forever. She might not even wait ten minutes.
I looked at the time in the corner of my vision. The clock was ticking. I slashed my hand across the air in front of me, opening my menu. I tried to contact Amos and Euphie via the Light Mirror, the Primal Realms in-game name for video calls. As long as the player wasn't in an encounter, a labyrinth, or a dungeon, I should have been able to call them, but the Light Mirror wasn't working.
Some quests disabled that feature though. I looked back at Mireille. Maybe we had come to a part of the quest that we couldn't video message, anyone, anymore.
Instead, I sent them a written message, telling them that Kanade and I would meet them back in Lutetia once we got back to the city.
"Let's continue with the quest. I don't think we have enough time to wait for them."
"Alright. Lead the way."
I clicked the O that appeared. Lady Mireille stood up and dusted herself off. She looked at me, then at Kanade, and finally behind us.
I turned around in time to see Sir Calares reappear. He was on his knees, using his sword to hold him aloft. The knight was bleeding and he looked like he was ready to keel over. Sir Calares was breathing heavily and he glared, unable to stand.
"Sir Calares, I am shocked."
"Be silent, little lady. You know NOTHING about the world beyond your safe city!"
Mireille looked taken aback. "Sir Calares, that isn't true."
"Of course it is. This is the first time you've ever left Lutetia, is it not? You might be educated about the darkness, you may have spoken to those brave knights and soldiers, but can't know. Speaking to them about the darkness is nothing compared to experiencing it.
"You have not been on the front lines as the darkness morphed into endless nightmares! Your father refused-"
He started coughing blood and Mireille took this chance to ask: "What does my father have to do with this?"
Sir Calares glared. "He would strip us of the gold we need! He would strip us of the land we require to train pages and squires! Men-at-arms! Your father would throw us at the mercy of the darkness and I will not abide it. I will not allow your greedy father to sell Lutetia to the forces of the darkness.
"I will not abide. We will not abide. I have found like-minded comrades. We will destroy you. We will... We will not..."
Sir Calares expired at last and fell to the ground. This time he didn't shatter, the system keeping the body rendered. It would remain until we left.
Lady Mireille stared down at the deceased knight and I wondered again if she was just an exceptionally rendered NPC, or if there was an actress in an avatar. I doubt I would be answered either way.
"Are you alright?"
She seemed sad. If she was an actress, she was a good one.
"I am fine. Come, we must go to Fort Lux. I must report this to my uncle. To General Alfred."
I looked out across the grass field, at the imposing fort. "Okay. Let's go."
Lady Mireille led the way with a sense of purpose that the aristocrats of medieval Europe must have had.
Kanade appeared at my side, an arrow loaded in her bow. "What? You afraid we'll get jumped?"
Kanade shrugged. "I'm not going to take any chances. I'm not going to be attacked by another Calares."
Hopefully, we wouldn't have to deal with another quest boss as powerful as him. As we crossed the grass field, the fort got bigger and bigger. A large wooden gate dominated the front wall.
On either side of the gate were two guardsmen, decorated in armor that looked a lot more fierce-some than what the City Watch in Lutetia wore. Each one of them was carrying a spear and when they saw us, the two guards looked weary. I should say when they say Kanade and me.
When their eyes laid Mireille, they turned to us with accusing glares.
"Lady Mireille!" one of the soldiers shouted, running out to meet her. He had his spear at the ready and I was sure he would stick me with it if I made any wrong moves. So I just stopped behind her and lady Mireille take the lead.
"Soldier. You will take me to my uncle at once."
The soldier gently pulled her behind him.
"These are my rescuers. You will show them every courtesy, by my command!"
"Your rescuers?"
"Yes. If they had not saved me, Sir Calares would have kidnapped me."
"Sir Calares? As in the knight Calares?"
"Yes. He has arranged to have me taken."
"Does he not work for your father?"
Mireille's face darkened. "He did."
If nothing else, I had to give the Narrative department of Stardust Studios props. The scene looked cool.
"What happened?"
"That is what I need to speak to my uncle about."
The soldier nodded. "Yes, as you command, my lady. Joffrey, open the gate!"
***
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