Emily, Lucas, Zack, and Henry were gathered around the table within the guard tower, creating a tight yet focused atmosphere. Henry, with a map in front of him, spoke with serious focus.
"Diana has always been interested in gathering books from various regions, expanding her knowledge of our land," Henry explained, his eyes twinkling with recollections of the past. "She was aware that plants and crops would start to wither away before it actually began."
Lucas leaned in with a serious expression. "She said she was studying about it to prevent it from happening and she was travelling out of Lunaria a lot during that period," Henry said
"Did she ever reveal what type of books she was studying?" Zack asked, his curiosity piqued.
"No... she was secretive about it," Henry began. "I checked her study room to find the books, but... they weren't there anymore."
Emily sighed out of annoyance. "Of course."
Lucas's gaze lingered on Emily, his eyes sparking as he recalled something. "Emily, you spoke of the villagers of Lunaria hosting a festival when you visited," Lucas questioned.
"Yes, the one where they were praying and dancing in their market square," Emily answered, facing Lucas.
"How is that important?" Zack asked with an expression of pure confusion on his face.
"I agree, why?" Henry asked, his brows furrowed.
Lucas faced Henry. "I take it your people mostly do this under the moonlight?"
Henry nodded, his expression still holding confusion. "Diana started this type of festival... I don't know why."
Lucas nodded as he turned to Zack momentarily. "Call on Eric; you two should check on the ship's departure and come back here."
Zack nodded slowly, a tinge of hesitation on his face as he left the towers.
Emily's gaze shifted to Lucas, who walked slowly to the corners of the towers, his face filled with concern as he sharpened the swords displayed on the walls.
'He knows something.' Emily wondered as she bites her lips in thought.
Henry's voice broke her train of thought. "Well, something is up," he said, drawing Emily's attention.
"Why would the festival matter?" Emily asked, turning to face him.
Henry shrugged, his eyes still on Lucas. "I don't know… Diana had two study rooms."
Emily furrowed her brow. "Why would that be important?"
"We should check the second one in the forest leading to my village," Henry suggested, his gaze shifting from Lucas to Emily.
"But didn't you already do that?" Emily inquired.
"I did...but Lucas seems to know more than he's letting on," Henry explained, nodding towards Lucas. "The study room in the forest has papers filled with imagery and words I couldn't understand...but he could."
Emily sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation. "We should inform Lucas and start searching there.
✨🌙✨
Emily, Lucas, and Henry are wandering through the forest, with Henry leading the way.
"How far is this place?" Emily asked, her steps sluggish from exhaustion.
Henry chuckled, "How are you a guard?"
Emily scoffed, not paying him any attention as she continued to stroll.
"We can take a break if you need it," Lucas offered.
"No, I'm fine, Sir," Emily shrugged off the suggestion, skipping past Lucas to walk further ahead to Henry. However, Henry stopped abruptly, causing Emily to bump into his back as she groaned in pain.
"We're here," Henry said, looking at Emily in amusement.
Lucas walked towards them; his eyes set on the small cottage in front of them.
The small cottage stood in front of them, its dark exterior blending with the dead and withered flowers and crops surrounding it. The windows were boarded up, giving it a lonely and eerie look.
Emily shivered, a chill running down her spine as she stared at the foreboding cottage. "This is not creepy at all," she remarked sarcastically.
Lucas turned to Henry; his expression serious. "Please watch Emily," he requested.
Henry raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What is she, a dog?" he joked.
Lucas sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "She's new to the guard, she has zero training," he explained.
Henry chuckled, his gaze meeting Emily's avoidant eyes. "No shit."
Emily sighed, wrapping her arms around herself as she watched Lucas approach the cottage.
"Why aren't we following him?" she asked.
"He seems to want to do this by himself," Henry replied with a shrug.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past Lucas, embedding itself in the door of the cottage. Lucas jerked back, drawing his swords in a swift motion. Henry noticed and drew his sword, scanning the surrounding area for the source of the attack. Emily stood beside Henry; her eyes wide as she watched the forest for any sign of movement.
'I really need some training,' Emily thought to herself.
A figure in a green cloak emerged from the shadows, arrows and bows pointed at Lucas.
Henry lowered his sword slowly, his eyes widening. "Diana?"
The figure pulled back their cloak, revealing their face to Henry. "Henry? What is going on?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.
Emily stood by Henry's side, her gaze fixed on the woman before her with a mix of wonder and curiosity. Lucas set his swords down, exhaling a sigh of relief.
Henry approached Diana with a mix of concern and confusion. "You've been missing?" he questioned, his gaze unwavering.
Diana's eyes shifted between Lucas and Emily before finally settling on the ground, her reluctance palpable. She raised her head slightly, addressing Lucas, "I take it you're the head guard of Tauris, young man?"
"Yes, I am," Lucas replied, his tone steady.
Diana nodded before her gaze turned to Emily, scrutinising her with a squint. "Hm, My name is Emily," Emily introduced herself, breaking the awkward silence under Diana's gaze.
"Good to meet you. Let's enter the cottage and talk. I will explain everything in there," Diana said, nodding towards the dark cottage.
✨🌙✨
As they entered the small cottage, pots filled with plants of various species hung from the ceiling and lined the floor. The tables were cluttered with papers showcasing various symbols and items.
Lucas's gaze was drawn to a paper on the table detailing the different cycles of the moon. He studied it briefly, his expression thoughtful, before reluctantly shifting his focus to Diana.
"I have an assassin on my tail, so I can't go back to Lunaria," Diana said, shrugging her shoulders as she dropped her bows and arrows on the table. The gravity of her words hung heavy in the air.
"The same assassin that killed your Lord," she added, her gaze meeting Lucas. Lucas and Emily took a sharp inhale at the revelation, exchanging a glance filled with concern and surprise.
"Why are they targeting you?" Henry asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
"I guess I was on their track. I was talking and planning with the Lord of Tauris before they burned his house and killed him," Diana explained, her voice tinged with sadness and regret. "I barely escaped."
"You were studying the withering crops... Can you fix them?" Emily asked, her voice hopeful.
"I have tried... But I can't fix it," Diana responded, her tone filled with frustration and helplessness.
"Are you from the Western region? This cottage is filled with elements related to them. You must have felt the aura of the plants?" Lucas questioned, his eyes avoiding Emily's gaze, who looked at him in confusion.
Diana chuckled softly, her hand lightly resting on her mouth. "You know more than you let on, young man. I'm not of Western origin," she answered.
"I'm confused," Henry admitted, furrowing his brow.
"You are... The way we are dealing with this situation is wrong. You need a different approach to battle with the rebels," Diana stated, her face serious and contemplative.
"The rebels?" Emily asked, her confusion evident. Diana smirked at her mischievously.
"Emily, you can't sense or feel anything with such origin you have," Diana remarked, causing Emily to furrow her brows in deep confusion.
"To put it simply, there is an organization seated in the middle of the sea causing this unease. We need to infiltrate them and understand their next plan," Diana explained. "But to defeat them, we must return to the origin of this world. Henry, move the villagers to the North; they will be safer there."
Lucas sighed, his face filled with sadness and regret. Emily noticed his behaviour but decided to bring it up later.
"We should return to the villages then," Henry said to Diana.
"I suppose I should inform them," Diana replied.
The moon began to rise as the day faded into darkness. They all emerged from the cottage, preparing to head to Tauris.
"Damn, it's dark. I can barely see," Henry remarked.
"I can't see much either, we should leave tomorrow," Emily suggested.
Lucas stood a step away from them, his gaze fixed on the forest ahead. "No need. I can lead you guys back to Tauris," he said, confidently walking into the forest with them following closely behind.
"How are you able to see so clearly, Lucas?" Emily asked from behind him.
"I don't know," Lucas answered, his tone blank.
"Isn't that a bit strange?" Henry muttered.
Diana chuckled, but her laughter was cut short as she hit the ground roughly. Before anyone could react, she was being dragged away by her leg, her body disappearing into the darkness. They all turned quickly at the sound of her screams. Lucas ran towards her, and Emily and Henry followed close behind.
Lucas finally arrived at a small patch of land, illuminated by the moonlight. He groaned in annoyance at the sight before him, his eyes filled with anger and hatred as he prepared to face the challenge ahead.
Emily and Henry arrived behind Lucas, their eyes widening in shock and confusion at the scene before them.
There stood a man, his fingers swirling with dark tendrils that coiled around Diana's body, causing her to grunt in pain. A shadow emerged from the darkness beside the man, and a young lady slowly surfaced from it, placing her hands on the ground to pull herself out before standing upright. Her eyes were pure black, fixed on them with an intense gaze.
"An unwise choice to wander at night when darkness is our ally."