"Now Listen up!"
Rhistel shouted as she pointed towards the top most right corner. This is our first target.
"Abaxxios, the Pestilent Defiler."
She said as she brought out several images of the area the first anomaly resided in. It was a murky swamp filled with noxious gas. "How'd you get these images?" Rhistel shrugged her shoulders, "They were up for sale in the black market outside Elysium." Haruki tilted his head, "Why'd you come back if you already got out?" Rhistel raised her eyebrows, "We're going in circles here Kaz. Obviously I want to be S-rank. I want to become the best bow user! Unlike that Yavanna! I wanna prove them that I'm better than that moon elf punk! She's not even half my age and she thinks she's already all that!"
She said as she ranted towards Haruki. He scratched his cheeks thinking he must've touched some taboo topic. "Well? What does the fucker look like then?" He asked, while Rhistel was about to enter phase two of her rant.
She narrowed her eyes, "She's a wannabe moon elf!" Haruki facepalmed, "I'm talking about Abaxxios!" Rhistel tapped her head, "Oh! He looks like this."
She showed him a picture of a large dragon sleeping at the center of the swamp. It looked like it was rotting from the boils and gashes all over its body. It's scales were covered in green boils that emit green noxius gas. Its wings were nothing but skin and bones. It looked like a corpse but the instant Haruki saw it he felt chills in his spine.
Magus said simply. "If we're gonna beat him we gotta procure a lot of poison resistant armor and gas masks. Also antidotes, lots and lots of antidotes. However all the adventurers I have invited have pooled in on our provisions and potions." Rhistel said confidently as she cut off Haruki's train of thought.
He nodded his head as magus chimed on the side.
"What about the rest?" Haruki asked. Rhistel nodded as she showed Haruki the next image.
"Tenkai Rikishi"
She said simply as she showed a circular war torn battlefield surrounded by crimson flames. Hundreds of blades scattered across the area. Broken banners freely fluttering along the wind. A lone figure stood tall in the middle. It was like a hulking machine covered in Red Samurai armour made of steel. It had four arms each holding a gigantic odachi. On its back were twin banners of some empire. Below it were jet like ignition boosters. It's legs were thin yet covered in thick armor.
It was a mech that looked like a samurai. It's face was nothing more than a skull yet it's empty eye sockets were filled with flames. The longer he stared at the monster the more he could feel his hairs stand on end. It took everything he had to prevent himself from smiling.
"The next one is thought to be the weakest. However till this day no one has managed to defeat her." Rhistel said as she brought out another set of pictures.
"The Weeping Maiden"
It was an worn and torn cathedral. It's nothing more than shambles as rays of sunlight could peek through it from the cracks on the walls and the sundered roofs. It's haunting loneliness could be felt from the image alone. The sanctity of the gothic cathedral has been bismirched by red markings of blood splattered all over it's walls.
The center of it all was a lone and fragile looking woman covered in dirty grey robes splattered with blood. Her black hair caked with dirt and blood flowing freely till her elbows. Her eyes sewn shut as it wept black blood. Her mouth were covered in cuts as it was sewn shut. Her ears were pierced with two gigantic nails on each side.
Her arms tied with beads as it was positioned perfectly on her chest, her hands placed on top of each other. She was clutching something with her left hand as her right hand clutched her left hand.
The moment Haruki saw this however shivers were sent to his pine. "Magus... What the fuck happened here. What kind of fucked up shit did they do to create this..." He said as he stared in abject horror.
Haruki closed his eyes and sighed. He looked at Rhistel who was preoccupied on searching for the last one. "Oh! Found it!" She soflty tossed the pictures towards the table.
"The Nameless One. The Gravetender of Champions."
It was a large chunk of a fallen kingdom. It was a castle garden filled with white lilies and scattered weapons. The castle walls were overrun by crawling vines. The stone foundation filled with cracks and dents. A singular water fountain lay at the middle of the ephemeral garden as birds and all sorts of fauna frolicked at it's majesty.
The lone figure standing tall beyond the gates of the sealed garden was a man covered in rusted armour. It's lustre long faded after thousands of years of struggle.
A greatsword is strapped to its back while it held a shovel. Behind the white lillies were countless unmarked graves. It stood there motionless keeping an ever watchful eye to whomever dares blaspheme it's solitude. Forever guarding the door beyond the castle walls.
Haruki stared at it for a good while, not noticing the food had arrived. He closed his eyes as he helped Rhistel fix the table. Each of them looked strong, strong enough to take this entire place crumbling down. Each of them gets him a step closer to his goal.
He clasped his arms together as he stared at his piping hot food placed in front of him. His eyes narrowed as he sighed.
"How far are you willing to go?" He heard a voice inside his head as he pondered deeply.
"How much will you sacrifice this time?" The voice said as his brows creased.
"For us?" The voice faded as he was brought back to reality. Rhistel was staring at him wierdly, "You good? food not to your liking?" He shook his head and smiled, "No. You just got me thinking, is all." He said. Rhistel shrugged her shoulders as they ate while chatting about nothing in particular.