FAMILIAR FACES
***
"ARE YOU SURE we're on the right path, Grim?" Ardelian asked for the third time. They were about to take the long way to the kingdom when Grim suggested a way he knows is a shortcut.
And the trail they are following now seems to be a little off from the ambience of a normal pathway within a forest. There are dry leaves everywhere, the road was a bit bumpy, and there are also mist within the trees. Astier nearly thought they'd be attacked by wolves anytime.
"Where have you learned this pathway?" asked Astier.
"I've been the Grim Reaper for as long as I can remember and I've been to many places, my lord. I've found and created hidden tunnels and pathways all over Azalia, most of which are only accessible by me."
Astier thoughtfully nodded his head when Grim added, "We'll get in Virgam in no time. This is the fastest route and I've been taking this one since the day I discovered it."
"You travel to a lot of places, don't you?" Astier queried.
"I do. People die in various places of Azalia."
"But since you're here with us, who's taking the souls now to the Underworld?"
Grim clicked his tongue, leaning comfortably behind the wagon. "I have servants everywhere, my lord. You need not worry. My priority as of now is to escort my saviour to the Ancient Library and help him retrieve his memories."
Destroyer was marked as one of the most perilous and vile villains in Azalia and having heard Grim saying that he once saved a life would have created an impact within him. But since he doesn't remember anything, he feels nothing only but a slight sensation of being overwhelmed.
Apparently, their peaceful journey would soon turn into a chaotic and cold one when Astier perceived loud grunts and groans not far from their location, causing him to abruptly stopped the wagon.
"Is something the matter?" inquired Ardelian.
"Can you hear that? I think there's a fight going on somewhere."
Ardelian and Grim both stilled for a moment and heard the ongoing fight. Ardelian broke the silence when he spoke to Astier:
"Are you suggesting that we help them?"
"It doesn't sound so bad but they might need assistance. Let's go check it out."
He'd already dismounted the wagon even before Ardelian could give his reply. The two men soon followed him.
"This is quite very interesting. Seeing Destroyer of Peace marching into a fight he's not involved with and helping someone." Grim's innocent remark made Astier stop and turn to him.
"What's that supposed to mean? Don't I often help people before?"
Grim shook his head, much to Astier's dismay. "You only get yourself involved in a fight, not to help, but to take their powers away, especially if the fighters are both wizards."
"W-what?"
"Yes, my lord. You are a taker of powers from other wizards like you." Grim declared those words so innocently as though he was only divulging normal information to someone like Astier.
Unfortunately, Astier wasn't given the chance to reply when a strong power of what they deemed to be a black flame beamed towards the sky not far from their location.
Grim's face did not fail to express his surprise. "T-that's a Forbidden Flame!" Without further delay, he flew towards it.
"H-hey, Grim! Wait up!" Astier and Ardelian followed after him, dashing through the forest.
"Why did he look so surprised?" Astier inquired along the way.
"That's a Forbidden Flame and there are only two known people who have mastered it well to use it against someone very powerful!"
"Against someone powerful? Who?"
"The Queen of Ice!"
It seemed as though Ardelian's response ignited something within Astier that he was able to unconceal his pair of smoke-like black wings, his feet were lifted from the ground and he navigated his way in the air, heading for the black flame.
He landed perfectly, despite having to use that ability of his for the first time. He found the exact location where it was coming from and there were multiple sorcerers and soldiers surrounding nearby. From a distance was a familiar-looking princess, wrapped in water.
Grim suddenly landed beside Astier, nearly startling him.
"I thought it was her but I'm glad to know it's only just an amateur sorcerer that she blessed with her flame."
"Who?"
Grim glances at him. "I don't really know the name of the sorcerer, my lord."
'I was talking about 'her'.' he mentally corrected.
Soon the black flame turned into ice, and not long after that, all the soldiers and the sorcerers were turned into solid ice after a snowflake landed on their foreheads.
Grim furtively glances down at Astier's neck. Fortunately, he was able to take it off but he still doesn't understand how he lasted that long.
The queen must have used up all her strength and Astier knew she was about to fall. He cared not anymore if the princess will recognize him. He emerges from the trees and caught his queen before she fell to the ground.
Ardelian and Grim followed him after.
"Who are you, people?"
♛♛♛
ARDELIAN HAD AN endless pouch where he stores most of his things and weapons. Astier only learned about this when he took the makeshift bed out of it, the same one where he came to from inside the cave.
While waiting for the queen to regain consciousness, the princess begins to interview them, inquiring about their personal details, where they've come and where they're headed, and more importantly, how they ended up in that area. It seems like Grim was not the first person to discover that shortcut for the princess and her sister has been using that route whenever they want to avoid the imperial soldiers.
"Are you telling me that there are imperial soldiers roaming around this forest?" Ardelian abruptly inquires.
"Yes."
"Do they often do that?"
"No."
"Those imperials soldiers, why were they chasing you?" Astier asked.
The princess looked at him straight in the eye, her eyes squinting at him. He was forced to state a reason lest she should further suspect him: "I recognised their uniforms."
"You've been to the Lunar Empire before?"
"It would seem so. I-I travel a lot."
Fortunately, the princess did not further press another question. Astier once more inquired why they were being chased and she casually answered, "The emperor sent them to go after us."
'They ask a lot of questions.' Princess Nyrinn mentally concluded. Perhaps, it's only fair since she was the one who initiated asking for information about them.
They don't seem to be bad people but she can't just conclude that they're also good people. She recognises one of them, the taker of souls. She's heard many stories about him, how he roams so casually in the land above, with the people having no fear that he could just snatch them and take them to the Underworld.
The man with the ginger hair also appeared familiar to her. There was something about his hair that she could inadvertently connect to the word "execution". Meanwhile, their white-haired companion doesn't seem to bring her any similarities.
"This Sage that you speak of, he lives in Virgam Kingdom, you say?" stated Nyrinn.
Eredon, the ginger-haired man nodded. "Yes. Do you know any sages in the kingdom?"
"Why? Is it because I'm the princess and you're expecting that I should know everyone in our kingdom?"
"But isn't it a part of your job to know your people?"
'And the audacity he has to speak to me like that!' If only her sister is not unconscious she could have turned this man into ashes by now. But showing her elegance and poise, she calmly replied with a smile, "Lord Eredon Dru, there are thousands of people living in our kingdom. It is almost impossible to identify every single one of them and remember every piece of information about their lives."
"I understand. Indeed it is very difficult."
Fortunately, their conversation was halted when her sister finally regained consciousness.
The man who called himself Astier was quick as an assassin when he got to her side in almost the blink of an eye.
"Are you alright? How are you feeling?"
The queen's eyebrows were also quick to frown. "Who are you?"
Nyrinn pushed him aside. The queen somehow looked relieved after seeing that her sister is safe.
"How are you feeling?" the former inquires.
The queen sat before she answered, "I'm feeling a bit better now. What happened to the soldiers? Did I kill them all?"
"You froze them all. Fortunately, there haven't been any more soldiers that went after us after you passed out."
The princess then proceeds to recapitulate what happened and introduces the three men who came across their paths. And just like the princess, the queen also recognises Grim as the taker of souls. She stared at Ardelian for a moment or two before nodding her head and when she turned to Astier, she asked him the same question again, "Who are you?"
He gave Ardelian a glance before answering, "Astier. My name is Astier Igreed."
"Is it just me or are you giving me this sensation of familiarity?"