"What!?" Sol almost screamed out when he looked around and realised that everyone was frozen in place except the two of them.
"Hurry!" She grabbed his hand and guided him to groping her, but all her efforts went out the window as the ground beneath them vanished and they started falling, and along with them were several other people who got dragged into the summoning.
"Well, I guess that's that then," Sol rubbed his forehead and held onto Ikaris's hand pulling her into a hug and holding her tightly.
"Why are you so calm?" Ikaris snapped at him in frustration.
"Well, I can't do anything about this, and clearly you cannot do a thing either, I am going to find the first opportunity and make a run for it, I don't want to fight another war, and from my experience, hero summonings can only mean the country or world is about to be destroyed, this time I will pass on all of that, wherever we are going, I do not want to fight their war, your war was the only one that mattered and it is long over," Sol explained his reasoning to the goddess and she seemed to misunderstand what he was saying as a blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Oh..." Ikaris looked around them at the other people who had been summoned as heroes, among the other five that were chosen, there was Eris, and Han, the other two that had recognised Sol immediately, and then three other people she had seen approaching them before everything went bad, two more girls and a tall man, even taller than Sol.
"Get ready," Sol called her attention back to himself as another white light started surrounding them.
One moment they were on earth, then next they were falling through a long black space surrounded by screaming people, and now they were standing before an empty throne, as if they had been there from the start.
It was a large circular space filled with supporting pillars and a single staircase behind a simple throne, and there by each stone pillar stood a cloaked statue holding a staff with a red gem at the top of it.
"Not what I expected," Sol commented, looking around at the summoning ritual and realising that those human-sized statues had just been petrified, "Seven, eight, twelve... twelve people just gave their lives in a summoning ritual to bring us here," He looked at Ikaris, but she was glued to his side and afraid to make a sound. "Are you okay?"
"No, I was summoned by a world where the god has abandoned the people, I have no idea what they are doing or what caused them to do it, but it is very like this entire world will be reset in the coming future," Ikaris answered in a whisper.
"Hm," He hummed, looking at her name floating over her head, and then behind her at Eris and Han's names floating over their heads as well. "This time we got summoned into a world with a system,"
"System?" Ikaris asked confused.
"Brilliant heroes, welcome to the land of Arkadia!" Came a woman's voice from behind the throne, and the confused group turned to her and witnessed as several guards suited in golden armour filled the spaces between the pillars and the petrified statues. She was wearing plain clothing, but on her head, there was a crown of red gems much like the gems from the staff of the statues that surrounded everyone.
"I am Queen of this land, Misty Vermon," The woman introduced herself with a low bow.
"What the hell is going on here?" Han was the first to speak up assuming a leading role from the beginning. "Who are you people, where are we, is this some kind of prank?" He asked, and while he was asking, Eris slowly made her way over to Sol's side and leaned closer.
"Look at the way they are dressed, do you think we got summoned to another world by that bright light earlier?" She asked with a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek, and Sol looked at Ikaris dumbfounded.
"Get away from him, you perceptive witch," Ikaris pushed them apart again and stood by Sol's side. "You need to stop getting so close to my Sol, I do not like it!" She raised her voice causing everyone to stop and look at her.
"Gosh, Sol and I are friends-"
"We are?" Sol took a step away from Eris and held onto Ikaris's shoulders. "I must have forgotten that bit,"
"W-well, we sort of are though!" Eris seemed hurt, but in the back of Sol's mind, he had already formed his plan.
Step one, pretend to be a coward and get kicked out of the unformed heroes party, step two, get himself banished from this country if possible, step three, find a way to get back home-
"Ahem," The queen cleared her throat impatiently and then took a knee in front of them, causing Ikaris to hold her mouth and hold on to Sol's arm tightly. "Please, before you cast judgment, please listen to what I have to say, I will answer every question you may have regarding your summons, as well as how to return you to your homeworld," She placed her sceptre in front of her on the ground and pressed her forehead against the floor.
"Master, this is bad," Ikaris tugged at his arm.
"I have never seen a queen bow before," Sol looked at his goddess confused.
"Imminent destruction; this place faces imminent destruction, they are overwhelmed, overrun, and helpless, their mages sacrificed their lives to summon heroes from another world, their queen bows, she even let her ceremonial staff rest on the floor before you, she has no option left, if this is her only option, then there is already no hope,"
"You said you would send us back?" Han answered the queen, keeping his boastful attitude before her. "How?" He asked, and the queen picked up her sceptre and nodded. "Upon defeating the Demon Lord, I will sacrifice my life and magic to send you home.
"She has no hope of winning without the aid of heroes," Ikaris hugged herself to Sol's arm again. "With new heroes, inexperienced, this entire summons is a waste of the lives of mages, this world is beyond saving."