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Sylanwood, Diremaw: The Frozen Slopes: Bloody Hallway, Time: 1:20 PM
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As James left the training room, he heard a door opening nearby and turned to see Mianne emerging, still bearing bruises from her recent battle.
An awkward silence settled between them for a moment, both unsure of what to say or how to begin.
"Hey," they both said simultaneously, causing them to chuckle in embarrassment at their synchrony.
Mianne, her smile warm and curious, decided to break the silence. "No, you should say it first," she suggested.
James, ever polite and considerate, insisted, "No, I insist, you should tell me first."
They exchanged glances before James eventually relented, weakly smiling. "Alright, if you insist. Well, I beat up my kidnapper, got a rune for myself, and feel like my back hurts a lot," Mianne shared her side of the story.
James clapped gently, his pride for her evident. "That's incredible, Mianne."
Concern washed over Mianne as she examined James, noticing the numerous bruises and claw marks on his arms and legs.
She couldn't contain her worry. "Oh my god! Are you okay?!" she exclaimed, her eyes filled with genuine concern.
James chuckled, wincing slightly as Mianne hugged him tightly. "Come on, you're worrying about me too much," he reassured her, deciding to take a seat.
As Mianne fetched her staff and began healing her injuries, James continued, "So, I got beaten up by a walking tin can, fought off a giant bird, and then beat up the tin can in return."
He recounted his recent ordeal, and Mianne listened intently, her imagination running wild as she pictured James in a comical chase scene with a rogue tin can on his legs.
Mianne brought up a pressing question, and James raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. She pondered aloud, "You know, it got me thinking... Those guys we fought... they couldn't be from here. It's almost like they knew we would be here." Her words made James pause and consider the situation.
It did seem unusual that two individuals who didn't appear to belong to Glacial Vigorous would confront them for their charms.
Mianne continued, "That person I fought with, he said that the charm has something to do with this," she added, gazing at her moon charm with a sense of importance.
James, being straightforward as always, offered a simple explanation. "Eh, they could be trying to steal it to sell for money." Mianne couldn't help but smile at his straightforwardness.
After Mianne finished her healing, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and cautioned, "This is the best I could do. If I push myself further, I might faint."
Her imagination briefly wandered, picturing herself being carried bridal-style by James, which caused her face to redden like a tomato.
"Don't exhaust yourself," James advised with genuine concern. He subconsciously began to rub Mianne's head, causing her to tremble slightly from the unexpected gesture and her blush to deepen.
James, showing his care for Mianne, gently guided her back to her feet. "Well, let's go find Ace and Ezra. They should be waiting for us," he suggested.
Mianne nodded and helped him stand up, and together, they left the bloodstained hall behind, heading in search of their friends.
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Sylanwood, Diremaw: The Frozen Slopes: Upper Layer, Time: 1:35 PM
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As they ascended the stairs, Mianne initiated a casual conversation. "God, I can't wait to get out of here. I need to stretch; I'm feeling fatigued," she remarked, wincing slightly as the sharp pain in her back reminded her of the recent battle.
James, however, had a sudden idea, and it lit up in his mind like a lightbulb. He realized that Mianne could teach him some acrobatic moves, which he could then use in tandem with ThunderBird to enhance its flexibility.
"Could I join in your next training session?" he inquired. His request caught Mianne by surprise, as she primarily knew James for his love of combat and being a guardian.
With a teasing grin, Mianne replied, "Are you sure you're the James I know?" It was unusual for him to express interest in activities beyond fighting.
James turned his head to face her, sporting a sly smile. "I want to try some new things, aside from fighting. They seem like a lot of fun," he explained. Mianne nodded in agreement, pleased to see this different side of James and looking forward to sharing her skills with him.
"That sounds like a great idea, James," Mianne responded, her smile growing warmer. "Acrobatics can be incredibly enjoyable, and they'll help keep you flexible and agile in battle too. We can start as soon as we're out of this place."
As they continued walking, James couldn't help but think about what Mianne said earlier regarding their mysterious attackers. "You know, you might be onto something with those guys who attacked us. It did feel like they were after the charm specifically. Maybe there's more to it than we know," he mused, rubbing his chin in thought.
Mianne nodded, her expression turning serious. "I agree. We should be cautious and find out as much as we can about this charm and its significance."
As they reached the top of the stairs, James and Mianne found themselves in a dimly lit corridor.
The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries depicting scenes of legendary battles and ancient rituals.
It was clear that they were in a part of the castle that hadn't been explored in a long time.
Mianne shivered slightly, feeling a chill in the air. "This place gives me the creeps," she admitted, hugging herself.
"Yeah, it's eerie," James agreed, glancing around. "But it's also intriguing. Who knows what secrets this castle holds?"
Just then, they heard a faint whispering sound coming from further down the corridor. It was too quiet to make out any words, but it sent shivers down their spines.
Mianne looked at James with concern. "Did you hear that?"
James nodded, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his halberd. "Yeah, I heard it. Let's proceed with caution."
They moved forward, following the source of the whispering. The corridor seemed to stretch on endlessly, and the air grew colder with each step.
Finally, they reached a large wooden door at the end of the corridor. The whispers were now clearer, though still incomprehensible.
James pushed the door open slowly, revealing a chamber bathed in an eerie blue light.
In the center of the room stood a pedestal, and on it rested a glowing, ethereal orb. The whispers seemed to emanate from the orb itself.
Mianne and James exchanged a puzzled glance. "What do you think that is?" Mianne asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm not sure," James replied, stepping closer to get a better look. "But there's something about it that's... captivating."
As they tried to approach the orbs, Mianne felt a presence approaching. "James, something is coming our way!" Mianne looked up to see a giant shadow looming over them.
"Mianne! Get down!" James quickly tackled both of them away from the shadow as it landed nearby.
The dust cleared, revealing an elder pinecone dragon with a long white beard growing from its chin. The dragon appeared to have a steampunk helmet surrounding its eye area.
"You kids better get your hands off that treasure of mine!" A raspy voice could be heard as Mianne and James looked up to see a short old man wearing a makeshift ice crown, a dark blue robe, and holding a golden cane in his right hand.
"I can't believe you kids are the same ones who destroyed Gray Phoenix a few days ago!" The old man yelled out, coughing a little from his outburst.
"Are you saying that you are..." Before Mianne could finish her sentence.
The old man yelled out in anger again, "YES! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU, KIDS, TO FIGURE OUT THAT WE ARE PART OF THE MESSENGERS OF THE BEYOND!"
"Maybe, I will humor you with an introduction. I am Alwin, the leader of Glacial Vigorous," Alwin introduced himself, and the dragon growled in frustration at the delay.
"My grandson was supposed to take care of you by now." Alwin clenched his fist in anger. His lazy grandson always meditated by the waterfall for no reason.
"Where's Elowen, you bastard!" Mianne said angrily. Alwin could only smirk at her and snapped his fingers.
A cage started to descend, and Princess Elowen was inside, crying and bruised. James stared at her in anger, his eye twitching at how this old man had been treating her.
"You know when I received a leaflet from an unknown source, I thought it was a joke. Now, I see it," Alwin smirked as he reached into the cage, trying to touch Elowen's chin. She backed away in fear, angering Alwin even more.
He withdrew his hand from the cage quickly as a halberd flew by his face, narrowly missing him and scratching his chin. James glared at him, his fists clenched in anger.
"You bastard! Is this how you treat someone who still has hope in her eyes?!" James yelled, trembling with fury.
"Hmph, it doesn't matter. She possesses her great-grandfather's power to control the pinecone dragon, and now she will be my slave, helping in my plan for a new world!" Alwin proudly announced, laughing. Elowen looked at the hero with hope in her eyes, knowing she would be saved.
"Elowen, hang on tight! We're going to defeat this old fool!" Mianne said, assuring her that she would be rescued.
"Mr. Hero... please don't harm the dragon too badly..." Elowen could only request, looking at James, who nodded in understanding.
"You've made your own grave, fool! By coming here and thwarting our ideal plan!" Alwin declared, pointing at them. The dragon let out a mighty roar, preparing for a confrontation.
"You will regret laying a hand on her," James said as he prepared his rune. Mianne nodded in agreement, pulling out a rune of her own.
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