"So basically, Karaki and Renley are leaving you with me as they return to the League" The woman that had grabbed Nier told him everything after the scuffle was over.
Nier looked towards Kyber and found him surprised causing a brow raise from Nier. Kyber simply shrugged.
"I thought you would be more surprised and reactive, you know since we are kind of leaving you here"
Nier also shrugged as he had known this would happen, still being hugged by the woman named Diana.
"Umm...drop me?" Nier asked unsure of the situation.
"I guess I truly have become old" Diana said putting Nier on the ground. Kyber made a dull face at her words and simply asked.
"Can we go now?"
"Yes yes...so impatient. You should enjoy nature more Kyber." Diana replied with a smile.
"Sure sure... let's go" Kyber said tiredly.
"You will reach there someday. Appreciating nature." Diana said as she moved towards a nearby tree. Nier didn't immediately follow her and instead looked towards the horizon where he saw the orange sun setting. Kyber and Diana followed his gaze and stopped as well.
"Beautiful" Diana said Nier's thought as the orange sphere sunk beneath the green grass. Nier smiled and followed behind reaching the tree. Diana turned back.
"You must have experienced it already so I will just say that it will happen again. The tree will eat us!" She raised her arms comically making a funny scary face causing Nier to chuckle.
As he did, the world darkened as the tree swallowed them and a light reached his eyes as they were spit out from another tree somewhere in the backyard of a house. The yard was rectangular in shape surrounded by a wall with trees on the egdes of the garden planted in a line with same gap between each surrounded by a 'fence' of pebbles.
Diana looked back and found no reaction from Nier causing her to smile a little sadly. While children became quite intelligent quite early in Zelrun, it wasn't to the extent that they wouldn't bat an eye when a skeletal monster reached out for them. It was likely that Nier was still regaining emotions as time went on.
'Renley said that the experiment must have had some adverse effect on his brain which decreased his childlike side' Diana thought sadly as she recalled the paladin's words. They didn't tell her what the experiment was about but it was surely hard on the boy.
'Having to endure such a thing when he should be carefree' Diana suddenly gave Nier a pat which caused him to raise an eyebrow.
"Don't worry. I am here"
Nier didn't know why but he felt soothed at her actions as though...nostalgic. Diana then turned as Renley and Len entered the yard from a back gate in the house
"Oh...good to see you. You must have heard it from Diana... It's unfortunate but please stay with her if it's ok-"
"I don't mind" Nier interrupted Renley garnishing a smile from the paladin.
"I see...then we'll be leaving. We will see what happens in the League and then see if we can return." Renley said calmly before turning towards another tree.
"Farewell" Len added following Renley.
Kyber looked at Nier and a sad expression came on his face but a smile followed soon as he extended his right hand. Nier realised that the scraped off left hand had been healed exponentially. Probably some sorcerer did it. Nodding, Nier shook the hands in a tight grip.
"Man, such strength coming from someone four years younger than me never doesn't surprise me" Kyber said sheepishly.
"..."
"If Traicion causes you trouble then don't hesitate to tell big bro Kyber here and I'll tech him a lesson...Oh Traicion lives in the house so you'll meet him." Kyber grinned before pulling his hands.
"Bye. We'll meet again" Kyber said smiling
"Yes" Nier replied with a smile of his own.
Kyber nodded and followed the paladins. The tree split opened its mouth and swallowed them whole.
"That is my awakened ability. Trees I marked work as a short tunnel allowing something like teleportation... teleportation is...umm...It allows us to travel farther distances very quickly" Diana said smiling and pulled Nier towards the house.
"Come inside, you must be hungry so I'll cook you something."
Opening the house back gate, they entered an empty room with a mat, wooden floor and another gate at the front right corner. To the left was a cupboard with a sliding door. Diana walked to the other door opening it again as they entered what seemed like the lobby or the hall? To the left of the door was a staircase that went up. To the right was an open kitchen with a rectangular dining table and in the front was a corridor that seemed to end at the main entrance of the house. There were more gates in the corridor but Nier focused on Diana as she pulled a chair from under the dining table.
"You can sit here if you want. Make at home" She smiled.
Nier moved and sat on the chair. Suddenly, the chair legs began extending elevating Nier above where as the table was previously on his neck level.
"I will give you a tour of the house but I'll cook you something first." Diana said as multiple vines suddenly emerged from the wooden floor and began helping her create the food. Nier was a little bit surprised but watched the process to learn.
'Magic can be used for things other than just fighting huh.'
As he looked around from time to time, he suddenly noticed a pair of big blue eyes peeking at him while hiding behind the stair railing. Everytime their eyes met, the blue eyes would retreat.
"Hmm...do you remember maths?" Diana suddenly asked
"What?"
"What is two plus two"
"Four" Nier instantaneously replied.
"What is twenty by four"
"Five"
'Retrograde amnesia? Some symptoms are different from general and while it is to be expected. I'll chalk it upto the side effects of the experiment he's been through' Diana thought as she glanced at Nier. In such cases, the patient lost event based memories such as names and memories of their friends, family and any thing they may have experienced in the past but skills were retained.
One still knew how to comb, how to brush but didn't remember when they were taught. Reading, understanding and talking in previously learned languages was possible. The problem however could not be generalized as there was nuance to each individual case.
Diana continued asking questions before a wonderful aroma reached Nier. Brown vines stretched and present few plates before him containing food Nier didn't know about. He instinctively grabbed the spoon and began eating.
"Ammm~" It was wonderful.
"If you were cooking then why didn't you call me!" A high pitched voice shreaked from the stairs prompting Nier to look. A red haired girl smaller than stood atop staring at his plates greedily. Diana smiled as the child ran down the stairs.
"That's ride Layla! You should greet the gues-"
"Didn't you say he was going to live here! That means he is not a guest! That means I don't need to greet! That means he could share!" Said the girl pouting before moving to pick a piece of the pancake. Her pink eyes shined before a hand stopped her.
"Hahaha...what you said was wonderful but still, he is hungry and you should introduce yourself" Diana said with a smile.
"..."
"I will cook more for you"
The girl grinned before turning towards Nier
"I am Layla! eight years old and future's greatest adventurer"
"Nier" Nier pointed at himself before stuffing his mouth full.
"That was all?"...
The sound of steps reached everyone as they saw a boy having short black hair with ocean blue eyes walk down the wooden stairs. He calmly looked towards Nier and smiled.
"I am Traicion. Kyber must have said something about me"
Nier gulped down and looked at Traicion for a moment before replying
"He said he will beat you up"
Traicion almost fell down the stairs but collected himself as veins popped on his forehead.
"Arghh. I'll show him. Anyways, is it true you cannot remember anything?"
"Traicion!" Diana narrowed her eyes.
The boy raised his hands and shrugged.
"We cannot trust just anyone you know...What If he was some evil devil's vessel who is acting as a child to fool us all? Don't give me that look. It's unlikely but not impossible"
"Sigh* Stop it Traicion...I agree that trust should not be given unconditionally but you take it too far sometimes"
"If something happens to Cecilia then it would be on me" Traicion said maturely.
"Nothing would happen to me! Big brother should not be so rude!" A cute voice came from behind Traicion as the girl with blue hair and eyes came from behind. Nier looked at her but as soon as he did, she hid behind Traicion.
Traicion gasped.
"She has been smitten. Oh my Lord!"
Layla grinned watching Traicion suffer and patted Nier's back smugly. Diana sighed and gave a smile at the scene while Nier finished food.
__________________
Renley and Len stood in front of giant white gates containing an illustration of a man holding a sword in front of him with it pointing upwards, surrounded by the stars and golden twinkles along with various intricate designs along the edges on one side while an immaculate artpiece of a hooded woman holding a shield in front of her with similar background and designs on the edges, was engraved on the gate that was on the right from their perspective.
The face of the man was hidden by the sword in front of his face and the woman's face was hidden by the pointy hood which represented how justice could be served by anyone and how anyone could be a protecter. On the centre of the gates was a round sigil containing of crossed swords and a shield behind them.
The paladin duo admired the work put into creating such gates for sometime before Len walked ahead and pushed it open. The gate was heavy and he had to use mana to open it. Well, no human could open the door with using their power.
There was no creaking sound as the giant doors opened slowly. The duo entered the building which was designed like the combination of a court and a cathedral. At the end of their path was a large wooden table with five seats behind it standing on an elevated position. Surrounding the table was a large circular table that had ten seats spread behind the table. The round table was placed two feets above the ground while the rectangular one was placed on platform two-three meters high above the ground.
All the seats were empty but suddenly a door at the end of the hall opened as a large man with sharp brown eyes entered inside. His skin was dark and his face contained wrinkles, his hair having gone white from age. His age however betrayed the pressure he emitted.
"Lord Olejivik." Len and Renley bowed as the man nodded with a smile.
"Ah...Len, Renley...It is good to see you again. I suppose your task was a success"
"Indeed my Lord. We will submit our reports right now"
"Yes...though you don't need to be in a rush since that mission was something you took out of your own volition. Anyways, what brings you here?" Olejivik said calmly but Len noticed that Olejivik was extremely serious right now for some reason
"We are here to meet Lord Pasarus." Len said but he felt a the atmosphere had gotten darker as he said so. His mana didn't warn him so it wasn't harmful to say that.
"I see. Then I am sorry to inform you but he has perished." Olejivik said gravely.
"What!?" Renley exclaimed breaking his stoic persona.
"A Demigod like him perished? How?" Len asked, his eyes narrowed.
"The reasons are unknown but he sufferered from an inversion thus ending his own life yesterday"