The following day, we packed up the camp, then made our way back toward town.
We were about halfway back to Eira when we heard a scream.
"Sounds like someone is in trouble. Should we check it out?" I asked Kingston
Kingston nodded, turning in the scream's direction, "There is no way I could ever leave knowing they could be in some big trouble."
We hurried as fast as we could, then stepped through the trees into a large clearing. Standing close to the center of the clearing was a giant bipedal pig at least ten feet tall and had tusks the size of an elephant.
"What in the hell is that?" I asked, gasping in awe at the size of the beast.
"That is a hog troll, a level 7 beast. They aren't brilliant but dangerous and will eat just about anything." Says Kyrah
Another scream came from high up; I looked up and noticed that the hog troll had a girl in its claws. Standing around the troll was a group of 3. The three of them worked together to free their friend from the troll.
"Come on, let's go help them!" Says Kingston as he hurried toward the massive beast.
I turned to Furnan, sitting on Smaug's back, "Stay here with Smaug; I will be right back." I said, then turned to Smaug, "Please keep an eye on him for me while I help take down this troll. Please do not let him out of your sight."
The young wyvern nodded. After a quick pat on his head, I hurried after Kingston and Kyrah, pulling Scorpius out of her holder.
Scorpius materialized on my shoulder, rubbing her pincers with glee; this scorpion loved a good fight.
I froze in my tracks when I spotted a girl across the clearing. She had long black hair twisted into braid and familiar gray-blue eyes. She wore an outfit similar to mine but was made of better material and wielded a whip. I watched as she ran and jumped onto the back of a white horse with a long silver mane. The horse took to the sky with its massive wings so its rider could help the friend the troll had taken.
Not only was this girl similar to me, but she also felt familiar... But once again, I couldn't remember why.
I was shocked when Kyrah pulled out the bow she had been carrying, then watched in awe as she knocked an arrow, then let it fly. The arrow whistled through the air, hitting the troll in the eye and making it squeal in pain.
The troll dropped the girl, whom the black-haired girl caught on the winged horse.
Now that the girl was safe, we worked together quickly.
The black-haired girl and I used our whips to bring the troll to its knees while the blonde-haired knight leaped into the air to stab the troll in the head with his massive broadsword.
The hog troll fell with a loud thud that shook the ground. A massive level 7 orb materialized before us.
"If we all touch the orb simultaneously, we each will absorb some of its energy," says the giant blonde-haired knight.
We all gathered together, and on the count of three, we touched the orb. White light ran from the ball, up our hands, and into our bodies.
"Thank you so much for your help," says the brown-haired girl who introduced herself as Willow," We couldn't have done it without you."
The black-haired girl scoffed and flicked her hair in annoyance, "Gustin is an Imperial knight, and I am Queen Oliva's daughter whom the best trainers have trained in the world; we didn't need their help."
"Hey, that isn't how you should talk to someone who helped you save your friend." Replies Kyrah, clenching her fists in anger.
The black-haired girl we learned was named Harley scoffed again, "Willow is not my friend; she was hired to accompany me on my mission. Nothing more and nothing less."
Willow hung her head as tears filled her eyes. After taking a deep breath, she hardened her face and squared her shoulders. "Your right, Princess," she says, "I'm sorry for delaying your mission; I will try my best not to get captured again."
"Good, because I will leave you behind if it happens again. Now let's go; the diamond shards aren't going to find themselves."
With a sigh, everyone stood in shock as they turned and walked away.
"So, that was the Queen's daughter?" I asked Kingston and Kyrah, "Why does she look like me? And I could have sworn I heard her say something about diamond shards..."
"I have heard a lot of bad things about Princess Harley." Says Kingston, " but I bet it wasn't easy growing up with a mother who was so evil that she turned into an evil beast."
"I don't care who her mother is; there is no reason to treat others like that!" Kyrah complains, clenching her fists in anger.
"Come on, everyone; we must return Furnan to his father. We can talk about this once we return to the Inn." I said, turning towards where I had left Smaug and Furnan. Thankfully they were still there, curled up together fast asleep, with no worries.
It was late in the evening by the time we returned to town. We found Furnan's father just where we left him by the quest board. He was pacing back and forth, desperate to see his son again.
When the boy spotted his father, he yelled, "Father!"
Furgison stopped pacing and froze at the sight of his young child, who slipped from Smaug's back and ran towards his father with tears of joy streaming down his face.
"Furnan!"
The man swept the boy up into his arms and hugged him close. He, too, had tears of joy streaming down his face.
Furgison looked at us and said, "Thank you so much for your help. I don't have much, but name your price, and I will do my best to get it for you."
Kingston and I looked at each other, then nodded, understanding exactly what we thought was best. Kingston said, "It's free of charge, sir. The job was never posted on the quest board, so there is no need for any payment. We were happy to help someone in need."
"Thank you so much. I hope you have a safe journey ahead of you." Furgison said
With a wave goodbye to Furnan, Kingston, Kyrah, and I headed back towards the Inn.
After returning to the Inn, we gathered in my room to discuss what happened after fighting the hog troll.
"Did either of you hear Princess Harley say something about looking for the diamond shards?" I asked, looking from Kingston to Kyrah.
They both shook their heads no.
"When I first learned of my mission from Damien, I remember him saying I was the second to come to him for a quest. I wonder if Princess Harley is the other person looking for the shards."
"You mean we are going to have to work together with the Princess to find the pieces of the diamond?" Asked Kyrah
Kingston sighed in frustration," We will not get her to work with us. She doesn't even seem to work well with her own team!"
"I think I would rather fight the dragon with a toothpick than deal with that bitch..." Says Kyrah clenching her fists in anger, "I can't forget how she treated the poor girl; what was her name again?"
"Willow," I reminded her.
"Oh yes, Willow! The way she treated Willow was horrible."
"Well, we must see what happens." Says Kingston, "For now, I think we should focus on getting stronger and on the way we need to look for my brother too. I hope he is okay."
"We will help you find him, I promise," I told Kingston, "When do you think we should head towards the next town?"
"I think we should head out tomorrow. It will take about a week to reach Rochelle on foot." Says Kingston, "We will also be able to train and level up on the way."
"What about money? "I asked, "I'm down to only 50 Laminae."
"Oh, I know a lot of different ways to make money," Says Kyrah, "Beasts drop items all the time, and I know what plants and herbs sell for a good price."
"I think it's about time to get some sleep," I said, "I'm exhausted."
With a goodnight, Kingston headed for his room while Kyrah decided to stay with me. We both crawled into the bed with Sly curled up next to Kyrah and Smaug at our feet, and soon we all fell into a deep sleep.
We checked out of the Inn the following day, then took the elevator down to the ground.
"Hey guys, before we head out, we need to connect our team." Explains Kingston
"What do you mean?" I asked,
"Here in the Kingdom of Minerva, when we create teams, we use a spell that can bind everyone in the group together." Explains Kingston, "With this bond, we will always know where the other is if one of us is taken or gets lost."
"Oh wow, I think we should do the connection spell!" Says Kyrah.
"I also think it would be a good idea, so let's do this!" I said, feeling excited
Kingston quickly told us how the spell worked. We each cut into both of our palms and joined our hands. With Kingston holding my left hand and Kyrah holding my right hand, we all chanted the spell.
"My blood to your blood and your blood to by blood; with this connection, I bind you to me."
After chanting this spell three times, I knew exactly when the connection happened; it was a very odd sensation...
The three of us smiled at each other, then, with one last look at Eira, we stepped out of the safety of the small town and into the wilderness.
As the sun began to fall in the sky, the three of us were looking for a place to camp when I spotted a cute little creature that a hunter's snare had caught.
The creature looked like a wolf with dark brown fur that blended into the forest floor.
"Oh wow! Is that a baby wolf elemental?" Asked Kingston
"What is a wolf elemental?" I asked, checking the pup for wounds.
"Wolf elementals are wolves that can turn into different elements based on their origin. "Explains Kingston, "This baby wolf elemental has earth-based powers; it helps them blend into their surroundings."
And that's when I heard the low rumbling growl, then out of the trees stepped a colossal wolf that looked to be made of tree bark. The pup in my arms wiggled free, then ran towards it.
The wolf growled as it looked at us; when it got at me, I was shocked when it spoke.
"Was it you that made these evil contraptions?" It asked in a feminine voice
I shook my head, "No, it was not us, I swear. I found the pup who had been caught in the trap, and I couldn't bear to leave him to die, so I freed him from the trap."
The wolf bowed its head, "Thank you, beastmaster. You saved my pup. If you see any more of these traps, please destroy them for us forest creatures; they cause harm to many of us."
"No need to thank me; I'm glad the pup is safe and with its mother. I promise to destroy any traps I come across."
The wolf picked up her pup by the scruff, then disappeared into the forest.