Dusk had begun setting in, but the Guild was still relatively active. A plethora of different types of people were drinking their hearts out, listening to the bards sing and generally pissed out there minds.
"Ah c'mon Theresa, you know you like hearing our adventures!" One of the piss heads, a broad shouldered red head leaned over the bar where the barista, Theresa- a fair white haired lady was cleaning out one of many glasses that was piling up relatively quickly. Her colleagues were serving customers, handing out more dishes and beverages with a tray- skillfully carrying multiple at once. During this time of the day, the bar would only grow more and more busy- let alone the tables that were already packed full of adventurers who are returning from work.
"Yeah, yeah. I take it you lead your party forward again today and you managed to slay the Dungeon boss?"
"Fufu... Even better! We managed to scoop out a pretty dang rare item." The man pulled out a ruby that was vibrant in colour. It's aura radiated- brimming with magical energy that's indescribable. The gentlemen huffed at the sight of it, his intoxicated mind glaring at the ruby for a moment. Theresa, noticing it's glow, didn't think much of it.
But, what was interesting was how quiet the man went. He was absorbed into it, like it was the only thing that mattered right now. "Could it be that it's an expensive ruby?"
"..."
No reply, but with the amount of people in the bar keeping the noise up- she didn't exactly want to engage in any sort of conversation. Especially considering she couldn't even hear her own thoughts- let alone her own voice. Placing down the glass, she looked past the crowd of adventurers where a taller man stood over them. To put it into measurements, the man was around 6ft 5. It was hard not to spot him.
A 6ft 5 goliath has begun clearing a path straight to the bar, and as he approached, he casually walked to the bar and spoke to Theresa. "I have a mission for you tomorrow. I've just received word from Aster that he's accepted my commission, so I'm going to need the best of the best. Are you okay with that?"
Gathely spoke, his voice was calm and although a voice so low would be drowned by the noise around him- Theresa could hear him loud and clear. After all, if there was any single adventurer she'd ever listen to, it'd be the man they consider at the top of the food chain.
"I understand, Guild Master. Do you have any other recruits in mind?"
"Aster is planning to run his mission alongside his friends. It's a relatively safe mission considering all they need to do is activate the tablet. But for safety purposes, I must ask you and Elizabeth to take part in this."
"Elizabeth? She'd work for the adventurers?"
"She never said she wouldn't. Besides, knowing her, she wouldn't just ignore a request from me."
Gathely could be described as a double edged sword. He knew where he stood, and knew what he could gain. But abusing his power would only lead to things being more difficult when he truly needs help. Saying that, he only ever did ask for help during situations like these. Elizabeth Ardent isn't exactly an adventurer, but she is an ex-Knight who is currently teaching at the Royal Knights Academy. More than that, a request from the Adventurer's head honcho was a type of request that none holding power over him could ignore.
A few system hours had passed, and word had eventually got back. He stay sat behind his desk, with Theresa who stayed behind after work hours. Due to Freiheit's policy in no alcohol after 2 am, most of the adventurers had finally clocked out and headed back home.
Theresa was deathly quiet, awaiting for that silence to be broken. But eventually, a hologram appeared before both her and Gathely. The man raised his finger, tapping a small icon before a beautiful red-head was displayed. Her eyes were as sharp as ever, and as Theresa looked on towards the woman, her eyes crooked a little.
"Gathely, you called?" She spoke, the woman presumably Elizabeth Ardent. Her stern voice matched the fiery red hair that laid below her waist. Her eyes were a clearing amber, as though her question to Gathely was that to assert herself in Gathely's presence.
"Master Elizabeth... It is good to see you after all these years."
"Hm... It's only been a few months since we last spoke, are you certain you don't have a few screws loose?"
"No. I'm quite certain haha. It has been a while since I've spoken to the Ardent Knight, not Elizabeth Ardent."
"... This is too sudden Gathely. What task do you have in mind?"
As though they understood each other perfectly, Elizabeth was already in the picture. To her side was a holographic cup of tea that she picked up to sip.
"It's a rather urgent matter. It's regarding the Seven Wonders."
Elizabeth's face dropped, and the loud clang of her tea dropping and spilling peaked the audio transmitter. Gathely folded his arms, understanding just how serious such a topic was for Elizabeth. She gulped, as such a noteworthy ex-Knight had grown at a loss for words at the mere mention of that group.
"We'll discuss this matter more tomorrow. You'll be trusted to escort some of your students."
"My students..? You don't mean-"
"Yes, this is related to why I pulled Aster out of class today."
Elizabeth nodded before silently switching off the transmission. Theresa remained silent, her eyes locked onto the tea that had spilled but had disappeared the moment Elizabeth's hologram vanished. She folded her arms, looking towards Gathely who was sweating a little bit.
"Gathely... A few days ago, you told me you had to handle something pretty important with the Knight's. Don't tell me..."
"Theresa, it isn't what you think. Though, I'm surprised. Usually you always refer to me as the Guild Master."
"Can it! You and Elizabeth went out drinking again didn't you? Gosh, that woman has such bad habits, it's a wonder how she became a knight in the first place!"
Gathely let out a laugh, a mocking one at that. Elizabeth was originally labeled a valiant knight, known as the Ardent Knight who fought alongside the Celestial Knight. However, nowadays, she's more of an alcoholic/drinker of tea.
Theresa in her younger years used to work with Elizabeth Ardent and another person, but it seemed those glory days were over. "As it stands now Theresa, you and Elizabeth will be responsible for those young adults. Whatever happens, ensure that they are returned safely. If the operation gets too difficult, there is no reason to continue."
"But, Gathely- this may be our only shot at capturing the Seven Wonders!"
"Yes. However, the price would be far too much to pay. They have already extracted too much from us- and should Aster fall- it could spell doom."
"What..? What is it about Aster that you see?"
Gathely fell silent for a minute. The room was awfully quiet with not a single sound nor noise emanating from all directions. Nothing but Theresa's shuffling, which seemed much louder compared to the conversation they just had.
"The prophecy of a Hero who will save this world from turmoil... We have entered a stage of war after we had lost the only man we could've called the Hero. I personally never thought of him as such."
"Lumiere..? How could you Gathely? He was the Princess'-"
"Knight? Yes, that he was. But he was also 'The Star's equal. The Hero was someone incomparable. Not someone born with an equal. Yet when I looked at Aster's eyes the moment he walked in, I could tell there was far more to him than I could ever imagine. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he has more battle experience than I."
Such a statement brought caught her tongue, as though she wishes to say more- she dared not question this sense of honesty coming from him. The disrespect towards Lumiere was something that ruptured her heart yet at the same time- nothing she could question.
***
"Theresa, why do you look so sad?" The gentleman of black hair questioned. As the younger girl turned to look at him, his eyes were the same sky blue that was the complete opposite to the dark night sky.
"Lumiere... It's nothing... Really." The gentleman's voice was soothing to the ear, and though Theresa was tensed up- it almost appeared as though she relaxed. Noticing her change in stature, Lumiere sat down at the cliff side next to her. With one leg dangling down and the other raised for his arm to rest on, he looked up to the stars, drifting along in that vast ocean.
"It's easy to get lost once you start staring... You think, that beyond those clouds are an infinite sky, boundless by even the world itself."
Theresa looked up to the man who smiled. His dark hair and dark attire suggested a younger version of himself, opposed to the ones where he is usually clad in silver armour or a white suit. He continued, telling a story. "Once, there was a boy who wished he could becomeThe Star. But no matter how far he reached, he knew he would never become such a thing. He looked at those around him, and knew he was nothing special. Yet he kept reaching out. Why is that, Theresa?"
She hummed for a moment. When he refered to such a phrase, she questioned if he was talking about his brother Altair. "Is... It because he was stubborn?"
Lumiere chuckled slightly, it was a slight puff but, nothing that broke the seriousness of the conversation. "No... It's because he knew that one day, someone will be able to reach those stars. So he kept on going- he kept reaching so that he could inspire others to do so too."
Theresa's eyes widened. The story was a short one, and she wondered why he would talk about his brother so fondly. They never did get along well, yet- his speech, it was as though he cared truly for him. But listening to the story, she wondered that maybe- just maybe she could do just that. Extending her hand to the sky, she thought silently. As if struck by the realisation, she then let out a few words.
"Lumiere... You wish to reach for The Stars..?"
***
Theresa's memories got the better of her. Remembering such a key memory with Lumiere, it made more sense with Gathely's intuition. That Lumiere was that Star that night. He reached for the Stars so he could let Theresa reach for them too. If he hasn't done that, then she wouldn't be where she was today. That same guy, looking back at the memory, if who he was talking about wasn't his brother, then it must have been himself he was talking about. Did he knew all along that he wasn't the hero? Many questions arose in Theresa's mind, but the most obvious choice was to observe the young boy in action. If Gathely was speaking the truth, then naturally the only way to verify it is by watching him in action.
The night rolled on fast. Time was ticking down, and in the course that flows- Aster had woken up from his bed. Getting up, he looked towards the top left of his visual where the numbers displayed: '06:02'.
He then attempted to wave his hand around, yet the numbers didn't move about. It was like they were engraved into his vision, but had no control over when and wherever it was place into his body.
He moved his finger tips, feeling up the quilt that covered most of his body- but eventually unveiled the thin, scrawny male that couldn't help but look at the mirror. "Ugh... It's gonna take way too long to get myself into shape..."
He thought out loud, the boy rummaging that messy hair that didn't seem to want to stay down in certain areas. He stretched, yawned, and then stood up. Feeling himself up and down, he nodded at the mirror.
In a short few moments, the boy was already dressed, tidied and the mess he had been looking at before was nowhere to be seen. The time told 6:30. Sitting down on his bed, he remained silent, burying his head into his arm as he blocked out all light from hitting his own eyes.
"What am I doing..?"
He pondered, and pondered. Shifting his weight into one side, he kept his eyes closed- now resting his head against the back of his hand on the bed, with the other held tightly against the sheets. "... I wonder if they're here... Somewhere..?" He asked, voice weak and quiet. Eventually, he sat back up.
Having too many moments to think, he slapped both sides of his face which left a slight red mark. His jade green eyes met with themselves once more in the mirror, before he spoke once more. "Get a hold of yourself... Even if... Even if this is a world you don't know."
His voice dwindled with each word, until eventually he held his hand out against the mirror. "Even my body isn't the same... Am I even the same person..?"
But his thoughts grew more and more as time went on. 6:40, and he hadn't moved much from his room. That was until-
Knock! Knock!
"Aster? Are you awake? We should be leaving soon, it takes us 20 minutes to get to the guild!" The sharp voice came right through the door. He didn't react, and with his hand still against the mirror, he slowly crooked his head to the right where the door stood. Isabella, with her hand on the knob still- walked in slowly, wondering what Aster was doing. But Aster didn't care to explain himself. Instead, wiped the dust off himself before clearing his throat.
"I'm awake, and you're right. We should get going." His tone shifted, as though Isabella was looking at a completely different man than the one whose eyes looked pitiful.
"Aster-" he didn't wait to listen, and instead followed with "We'll talk on the way. Yuji and the others are waiting for us, right?"
"Uhm... Right." Isabella then looked towards his room- and he had forgotten the most important thing. His sword laid against the bed, an iron blade of a simple handguard. She wondered for a moment, thinking to herself. 'I should get him a gift of a new sword...' but on that same topic- she realized something. 'when... When is his birthday?'
Isabella quickly grasped the blade that was still in its holster before following after him. "Aster! Aster wait! Your sword!"
Aster at last turned around, but couldn't bare looking at her directly. "Ahem... Yes, thank you. I don't know how nor why I forgot that."
"You're overthinking things way too much. Our task is simply to unlock the dungeon, so try not to... I mean, I know it's stressful but you have Yuji and I, as well as both your trainees and I'm sure Guild Master wouldn't leave us with nothing better than A-Rank Adventurers!"
Aster, though Isabella expected a bit of a stubborn talk with him- was caught off guard by his simple smile. He nodded only once, faced his head down before speaking. "You're right. There is nothing to worry about, and if something does go wrong, I'll protect you all."
Isabella blushed at the comment. Aster wasn't an unattractive fellow in Isabella's eyes, and she always valued the person than their valuables. Aster and his Iron Sword simply proved that- and as she handed him the blade with both hands, she felt his hand graze past hers for a fleeting moment. Her heart paced that single moment, and that peach-pasted cheeks suddenly returned.
She looked, her eyes softening as he grasped his tool. 'Why do I keep thinking about you..?' she wondered, realizing that her thoughts as of late had only been of Aster. What to get him, what her type of person was- if he was okay? They were all questions or thoughts directed at him. Yet, he wouldn't receive even an inkling of that affection. If anything, Isabella began pouting- over the clueless Aster whose face remained unchanged from the gentle person he was.
"Master Aster!" The little voice suddenly reached the two, and what followed was the crimson eyed Rina who was dressed in her adventuring clothes.
Yesterday, everyone was in uniform- but today was a day where everyone could clad in their own tastes. Isabella wore a white coat made of beast leather with fur over the top presumably from snow wolf fur. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail which was different from how she was in school, and with her hair tied up- Aster couldn't help but notice the blue streaks looking more seeable. With her hair down, one could easily mistake her to have completely white hair. She also wore a white tunic, and a black suit underneath that all that was made out of a type of black spandex that spand from her feet up to her chest. Her shoulders were exposed, but she had detached sleeves that extended to her wrists, and fitted only one glove on her right hand while the other was exposed.
Rina was dressed in a different type of clothing that one would assume she wasn't from here. Though, it was obvious due to her animalistic features such as her fluffy ears that extended from her hair and her fluffy tail. She mentioned to Aster once, 'I'm a type of fox! Not a dog!" But Aster would tease her about it. Little did he know at the time that touching one's tail or ears was considered personal space invasion. It could've been the equivalent of one who gropes without permission. A strike to his face was enough to teach him that, he was left with a red mark shaped precisely to her hand which spoke volumes as he walked around the school.
As her ears and tail were wagging at the sight of the two, Aster had fondly recollected those memories, before admiring her choice for clothing. She wore a body tights that covered her completely to her neck, and her general attire was reminiscent to a shrine maiden. She wore a floral printed kimono that was half worn- the sleeves dropped below her waist and was held up by sash that was tied to her waist. She wore a half chest plate that covered the right side of her chest, and had extended towards the pauldrons that protected her arms. It had floral engravings similar to the floral design of her kimono, and the style was very 'Yaiban'. That Sanctum of Yaiba was a nation home to the beast folk. They hone their blades and are generally traditional types of people. Most notably, they wore kimonos and other various 'Yaiban' types of clothing which gave them that traditional vibe. Rina was almost like a hybrid, wearing armour seemingly crafted by the hands of a human but themed to be similar to Yaiba. Looking down, Aster noticed the two sandals she was wearing called a a single tooth geta. Her balance was impeccable, but one's own balance was important to one's stillness. Rina, despite learning the ways of the sword by Aster, was at nature- an archer. Her choice of weapon was two crossbows empowered through mana, though Rina had mentioned its name before- it escaped Aster's mind. Same with Isabella's sword. Aster being the wielder of simple weapons like, 'the longsword', he had never familiarized himself with swords or weaponry that had their own names and powers.
"Rina, has Yuji and Celine arrived yet?"
"They're already at the Guild Hall! But you won't believe who's joining us!"
***
Aster's eyes were violently twitching, as the red headed knight stood before then with her arms crossed. She scoffed, looking at him. "Don't give me that look. You decided to leave my class yesterday, and so today I'll take time out of your day to teach you a little something called manners."
Elizabeth Ardent, she was once a stoic figure who fought alongside greater powers. It's said that she once served under the Grandmaster directly- though rumours are rumours.
She didn't speak much about her past, but understandably so. It was the person next to her that agitated Aster so.
"So, Guild Master entrusted you of all people with this mission?" The sour puss red head of a daughter scoffed much like her mother. It was as if the Ardents had something against the Ragnaroks.
"Sera, please, no bickering."
A voice stemmed from behind.
Aster was witnessing new sides to everyone today. Yuji was wearing something undoubtedly similar to Aster, which happened to be a complete coincidence. The two were wearing tunics, Yuji's was blue and Aster's was black. The two were wearing dark trousers. The two both wielded a single iron sword. They both wore gloves, Yuji's blue, Aster's black. Noticing this pattern, Yuji stared at Aster's clothes as though he noticed something- but ended up shrugging his shoulders silently while the conversation transpired. The young Celine was wearing something peculiar. She wore her typical school clothes but had a chest plate, shoulder guard, elbow guard and gauntlets, and metallic boots. It was like she didn't even try to hide being a knight.
As for the remainder, Elizabeth Ardent was fully clad in red armour that fully covered most of her body except the main part. Her torso, thighs, and chest were exposed- but due to her powers that she once demonstrated, that was a no brainer. Her daughter was similar, except the only parts exposed was her chest and thighs. As for the one who just spoke- Aster was flabbergasted for a moment. Ayrandel, a student who was recommended in just like Sera, and was Elizabeth's other daughter- a blonde haired knight who wore golden armour.
If it wasn't obvious to Aster, it'd be obvious now. Yuji's eyes kept glancing over to her. Shaking his head at Yuji, he tried grasping his attention to tell him 'stop staring!' but he was too infatuated not to. Her hair was braided all the way down to her behind, and she carried a single sword, much like Aster and Yuji- but it emanated a faint aural glow of a golden hue.
She was the Golden Sword, the daughter to the Ardent Flame, and sister to the Scarlet Ash.
They all had cool nicknames, something anyone would want. But those titles were earnt- and in school, Ayra and Sera both never took part in school events such as tournaments or othercmajor ranking type events as they had been stated by the school board to be extraordinary.
They were people to look up to, and in terms of strength- it was no doubt that they were strong.
"We have an incredibly important mission today. Don't tarnish mother's name because of a feud like this."
The more responsible Ayra spoke, to which Sera nodded in sorrow. The girl clearly respected her elder sister, and cared for her greatly. Wait, how old even are they?
"Aster, considering you know everyone, you should at least get to know little Theresa before we depart."
"Little? I'm not little at all Elizabeth."
Theresa who had been standing there the entire time with Gathely walked into the frame. She had similar hair to Isabella, it was white except braided similar to Ayra's. Her battle suit fitted more of a religious showdown than it did an adventuring guild sort. Regardless, it didn't mean that saints weren't often fighting out in the field. Attached to her thigh highs was a strap that carried two devices that people of today's era labelled 'Firearms', a form of magitech that coalesced magic into a single point before firing it off similar to sound type magic, as it travelled at the same speed- if not, faster.
"You're Aster then? I'm Theresa. As of right now, you're under my wing, so you must listen to my orders." She stated, waving her finger around like the bossy person she was. Aster nodded though, considering that Gathely entrusted her to protect them, it was no doubt that she would be packing a bit.
Gathely then spoke, before addressing everyone with a single wave of his hand. Suddenly, appearing on Aster's visual was a small dot that kept flashing. Tapping on it, he noticed everyone else doing the same. Suddenly- a map was brought out.
"Everyone, the location that the tablet was located in was near the center of the forest. In other words, it's where the Great Beast lies." Pointing at a specific part of the map, it zoomed closer towards the Drystian Forest. They had icons indicating their position, and those icons were placed directly within Kingdom Drystia.
"The journey will take approximately two days, but that isn't considering how smooth a journey it will be. Theresa, you have the D-Key, so make sure you use it if you need to rest. As for the rest of you, I trust Elizabeth and Theresa's judgment with the group's actions. Heed their command, no matter what."
The group nodded. Their task was a simple but important one. Furthermore, if the tablet is truly where it was- then there were multiple obstacles in their way.
The first, was the potential show up of the Seven Wonders. This was the most dangerous risk, and on first sight- they were tasked to retreat as soon as possible. If need be, Elizabeth showed the scroll of Dimension Door, using it as a last means of escape.
The second, the Great Beast attacks. The Great Beast is the protector of the forest as well as the one who controls the food chain. If the Great Beast is dead, then the effects to the food chain in the forest will drastically change, as every single monster within would grow stronger. Not to mention, it's stated that it takes multiple A-Rank to S-Rank adventurers to handle a threat like that.
The third, is if Aster dies at any point- the mission is rendered useless. He is the most valuable asset, and must be protected at any cost- even if it costs another's life.
And finally, rations and morale. It was a long journey, and for most of them- it was their first experience as an adventurer. Isabella and Aster were beginning adventurers, so they understood what it was like to camp out with nothing but a tent. As for Yuji, Celine and Rina- it would be their first.
"That's all the things we have to consider going into this."
"We don't have to worry about rations or slumber. I have everything we need inside my D-Key."
Theresa reassured the final point, indicating it not necessary to stress over. The 1st and second points were both relieved by Elizabeth's Dimension Door, yet the third point is what stood out. Aster was scrawny and wielded a simple iron sword. Someone like Yuji wouldn't be able to protect him with his feeble weaponry, and even the others would struggle if Aster lagged behind.
Yet, Aster nodded. "I won't die. And I certainly won't hold you guys back. But if danger does come my way, I'm relying on you guys."
And so the journey began. Departing from the city, it was about a day's journey to reach the edge of the forest. After the driver hired by Gathely had dropped the group off at the nearest landmark, he had departed leaving them alone in a village near the forest.
"We should stop at the village for a while, and ask them if they've noticed any changes in the forest."
Elizabeth suggested, her arms crossed as usual. Ayra, Sera, Aster and Isabella were all front and prompto, whilst the other three were with Theresa.
"We need to gain as much information as we can before we embark. If such changes were to occur, we need to be prepared for any challenges that may come out way."
"That logic is sound. Though... I wouldn't even call this village. It's more a thorpe of anything." Aster looked around, seeing very few houses- mostly farm lands and scarecrows that weren't scaring crows.
"Elizabeth." Theresa spoke, walking with the other three.
"Yes Theresa?"
"... There isn't a single person around."
Theresa explained. Now that she had mentioned it, the place was isolated like a ghost town. Rina peered closer to each house, and there was no doubt about it.
"Every house is crumbling apart, there's no maintenance and no sign of life about..."
Rina explained. How often do adventurers go into the forest? It was a question left unanswered, particularly because this thorpe was hard to miss. After all, the driver dropped them all off here.
"I don't even sense signs of magic, except from what's coming from the forest." Celine continued. She was an elf, and so she was more sensitive to magic than others. Her ears twitched slightly, but no sign of direct magic activity was founded.
Theresa looked upon the roads, and nothing.
Elizabeth opened each door, scavenged around. Not even usual household items.
Rina sniffed around, looking at the crops. Just seeds that were plucked by the black crows that were here.
Celine and Yuji, even at the edge of the thorpe detected nothing. Yuji looked at the fences built around, and they were rotten- falling apart.
Sera and Ayra looked towards the direction of the forest. Not even a sign of a footstep.
Isabella soon approached Aster, wondering why the thorpe was here. "I'm not sure." He responded, there were no signs of life and it seemed as though there hasn't been anything for a while. So why was it here?
"There's not even a sign of history at all. How long do you think this village has been abandoned for?"
She questioned, but Aster didn't have an answer. If anything, it wasn't surprising that the village was abandoned. Considering the no signs of life, it was common sense that monsters could detect signals of life simply from feeling mana.
This village could be as old as 300 years old. No more. Aster kept the information to himself though, disregarding it. Reconvening with the group- they all shared their lack of findings.
"Well, we didn't find anything out. I wonder why this structure is here after all this time- and no one has reported anything about it." Theresa was stumped. Trying her hardest to think, yet she drew no conclusions.
Elizabeth herself seemed to have no clue as well, but it was obvious that there wouldn't be any signs of living if it has been abandoned to the point of crumbling and rotting.
Considering they were all inside one of the few small houses, Aster began looking around. That was when he discovered something.
"Hm..." He thought to himself, looking closer at the wooden structures inside. A table, a shelf- wooden flooring and more. He noticed that the floor was rotting, the table too was rotting, and the shelves were rotting too. But, they all didn't look too dissimilar to each other. Why was that?
"Miss Ardent, what type of wood is this?"
Aster asked, looking closer.
"Hm... I'm not too sure. It's aged a while clearly. Why do you ask?"
"I just... Don't you find it weird that everything is rotting the same way? I mean, yeah, it's an old abandoned village... But there's literally no signs of life. Even if it'd be thousands of years, there's always something that'd indicate some form of life. You can't tell me that everyone who evacuated this place brought literally everything with them..."
"What are you getting at? And isn't it as easy as using Pocket Dimension?"
Pocket Dimension was a convenient tool every adventurer uses. However, such a tool wouldn't have been made all those years ago, considering it was a recent make. Sharing this with Elizabeth, Aster then continued. "If this is the case, then... When did we enter the forest..?"
Aster questioned, to which Elizabeth's eyes widened. She suddenly looked to Theresa, who was wrapped up in vines- all the other students knocked out.
The visage around them began to dissipate as Aster solved the puzzle. They weren't in the Thorpe. Even the driver was hung by his neck, blood dripping down like a rain. Which meant they had been in this illusion for some time.
Yuji, Isabella, Rina and Celine were all unconscious- forcing Aster to reach for his sword. Sera, Ayra and Theresa eventually managed to break the binds that held them down- but if they didn't act soon enough, then the four would suffer the same cruel fate.
"Theresa! Take aim!"
Elizabeth commanded, reaching her hand out as a flash of light rendered all colour into black and white- before a domineering sword took form within her hand. It was a sword that looked like it could weigh the same as a refrigerator. It's blade was a magnificent magma-like colour, that even moved like magma. Was it magma?
"Seraphina! Ayrandel! Take Aster away from here!"
The two retreated towards Aster, who wanted to stay and fight- but it was too late. Aster lacked the knowledge of the type of enemies in the forest, but the moment he described the layout of the wood, Elizabeth drew the conclusion that they were fighting the pranksters of fairies- the Spriggans, who were known for their absolutely cruel tricks of playing with the hearts of others.
The spriggans took the form of walking trees with the vines as their weapons and use their illusion magic to force people to walk into their traps. Had they entered the forest, then they would've been killed. If they left the village, they would've been killed. But, Aster realizing the truth motivated the Spriggans to make haste, forcing them in the attack. The position was advantageous for someone like Elizabeth, who wielded flames.
Theresa with her two pistols aimed it towards the vines, shooting directly at the four unconscious. Aster- who didn't know any better almost ran back to hit hers- but Theresa was a sharp shooter- completely freeing the four before being caught by wind magic wielded by Ayra.
"Well done Ayrandel!" Elizabeth stated before her magma blade split down the middle and locked in place. The blade itself seemed to be solid, but truly looked like magma, but down the middle protruded yet another blade that almost made it grow by 50%. She swung the sword, and the engine-like features on the hilt began roaring flames as she launched herself at the Spriggans that attempted to flee.
Theresa, again with her guns, shot effortlessly- this time emitting electrical impulses that completely stunned each tree from moving. Locked in place, the several spriggan that attempted to take their lives were eviscerated by the flames- completely engulfing them before turning to ash.
"Are they okay?"
"Yes, they're still breathing. But our driver is completely dead."
Elizabeth bit her tongue. She then looked to Aster, who was being guarded by her two daughters. Making her approach, she then threw a suggestion- but not before...
"Aster, if you hadn't taken notice of something like that, we all would've walked into their traps. It seems like we're deep into the forest. I didn't even consider checking the map. Even though we would've likely escaped the Spriggan's traps, I wouldn't be able to say the same about the rest of you. I suggest we use the D-Key now Theresa. We can't move until everyone is conscious."
Elizabeth turned over to Theresa who seemingly already had the same idea. With the key in hand, she reached out, before a magical door appeared.
"Enter inside, and help me get these four in." Sera, Ayra and Aster all assisted as Elizabeth kept watching, ensuring everyone entered safely.
But what was beyond the door was nothing they would've ever expected. Rumours circulated around D-Keys on how rare of an item they were. Due to their limited knowledge, not much knowledge is known behind what's inside them.
But in their sights, they were looking at a log cabin that was separated from the world by an endless cliff. "Get inside. We're safe in here so long as my mana remains full."
She said, helping the unconscious Rina. Everyone followed prompto, and eventually- the four were placed onto beds on the second floor.
"I didn't think I'd have so many visitors, but luckily my old party was a group of 7 adventurers." Theresa stated. There were a total of 9, but there were two sofas downstairs in front of the fireplace, which made for a nice comfortable experience even with too many people.
"Is this place your home Theresa?" Aster asked, but Elizabeth shook her head.
"You'd be right in assuming that, since Theresa does come here often. But this place used to be where we hung out. It was nice and separate from prying eyes. No one can get in, and no one can get out. So long as Theresa holds the key, we're completely safe."
Bewildered by the idea, even Sera and Ayra were quite pleasantly surprised. "This doesn't seem like it's going to be easy..just the Spriggans alone could've killed us." Ayrandel stated, looking over the four. Particularly, she was looking over Isabella, whose features were eye catching.
"In any case, now might be a good time to run through what sort of monsters appear in this forest! If I had known Spriggan's were here, then anyone could've told it was an illusion!" Seraphina cried. The crew must've been tired however. Aster himself seem exhausted despite not even fighting. His body was more sluggish than he had thought.
"Aster, if you need to rest, then do so. You don't need my permission to do it."
Elizabeth explained before grasping his hand and walking him over to the bed. She folded her arms, looking at him with a raised brow. Soon enough though, he couldn't resist.
Some time passed by, and everyone ended up knocking out. Considering it took nearly 12 hours to reach the forest, everyone who wasn't used to adventuring would've passed out anyway. Even Elizabeth herself was a little tired, but nowhere near enough to the point of knocking out.
Theresa and Elizabeth both sat downstairs- but the usual talkative Theresa was as quiet as a mouse. "Something on your mind?" Elizabeth questioned.
Theresa was hugging her knees, almost like a child. Resting her head against the armrest, her eyes looked deep into the fire. "Elizabeth... What happened with the Seven Wonders..? Why did they kill Lumiere..?"
Theresa's question had even Elizabeth growing silent, but she answered anyway. Theresa who was clearly bothered, had always kept things close to her chest. She didn't have Lumiere to vent to anymore.
"... I don't think things are as simple as who killed who, or what did what. If you asked me 18 years ago, if Altair would kill his brother... I'd say no."
"But... Lumiere is dead! He's... He's gone... And I just..."
Theresa couldn't form any sentences. Her mind being the jumbled up mess as it was, tears streamed from her eyes endlessly. Elizabeth's breath quivered a moment, feeling her lips dragging down on the sides.
"I just don't get it... They were close... They loved each other yet-... Yet, Lumiere was killed... Every day, I think... What would've happened if I was there..? If I had been with Lumiere, and protected him... He helped me! He helped me reach a future that I thought I had lost! And this is how he was repayed? I... I regret not telling him how I've felt..how I loved him... That even if he loved the Princess, that I wished to be by his side forever..."
Theresa's feelings were justified. However- Elizabeth couldn't process everything she had laid out. Her hand reached out on impulse, but after she calmed down- she decided against it. She hadn't notice when she started walking towards Theresa, but instead turned around and began edging near the fireplace.
"I'm sorry Theresa. But the past is defined. Even I have my regrets. Even I lost people that day, but I don't want to continue everyday thinking about them."
"But... Why? After everything they have done for the nation... Do you not feel anything towards Lumiere, King Polaris and Princess Sideralis?"
Elizabeth didn't answer right away. Her gaze was fixed in the flame in front of her as it begun to fizzle away. "The Celestial Knight... Do you remember her?"
"... Cynthia... Ofcourse I do."
"She was my closest friend, my closest ally. We did everything together, and not a single day went by without her being in my life. But who killed her..?"
"Altair Ragnarok... The Star."
"Yes... Altair Ragnarok... I have my own reasons to see him myself. You do too. So we mustn't fail this mission. For those who have departed, not because I wish to live in the past but so I can avenge what's right in the future."
Elizabeth at last turned to look at Theresa. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she had already wiped her face. Theresa nodded, wiping away her tears with a determined look.
"Then, let's do this..!"