"Are you saying I should stop my friends from reporting back to the guild?"
Andal paused for a moment. "Yes, in fact, since they have already told me that it was a betrayal, I was never going to report anything to anyone. So just to be sure this doesn't get out, you must convince your friends to keep their silence. It will keep happening again and again, until there is no longer a report of a betrayal made again…"
Elijah inferred that Andal meant it would not stop until he is dead, or anyone who pronounced betrayal is dead. What did this mean for his future?
Continue with what is left of his party, or go alone…
"Thank you for the help I guess… I'll be leaving now." The bare skin of Elijah's open back came into view of Andal as he walked out the large wooden door. The sound of the wind splitting softly resounded as his hair fluttered through the air. He only started flying once reaching the bottom of the cavern, and made his way through the entrance cavern into a group of dimly lit uninhabited buildings.
Not a single person was in sight, so Elijah continued until reaching the point of no return for carriages. After slowly flying down unseen between two double-story stone buildings, Elijah began running as fast as he could. Only when an open carriage holding four familiar faces was seen moving up the incline into daylight was seen, he felt at ease. "ALEXIA!"
The reason for calling her name was that he felt she had the hardest time of his friends who had survived. The yearning to think on the same wavelengths as them was aching in his heart. A long hug would do him well.
Elijah jumped onto the carriage ruggedly, landed on his stomach, and slowly turned onto his back. "I'm sorry. But you can't say anything about what happened in The Catacombs. I understand how scared and bad you all must feel, but please, trust me."
What seemed like a moment between best friends, turned into something much more. Elijah had his hands out to his side, and was grasped by the shaking and cold hands of his friends. Overlapping each other, his four friends who were now bound to each other from this experience responded soundly. "I understand."
…
The Western Hunter Guild was overcrowded as usual, and the five friends received stares of worry, and even stares of embarrassment as they walked through the side door.
"We need to talk to Alessia." Elijah spoke to the attendant at the mission board, and without hesitation, the middle-aged lady ran to her pendant sitting on the counter behind her standing desk.
"Alessia! This is Liana. I need your assistance as soon as possible. I fear something bad has happened to the party that took on the red core waterfall chasm…" Liana was quick with her words, and told the group to walk down the hall to the right. Alexia should be walking inside from the back of the building very soon.
The scent of the floristry filled office didn't seem to be able to contend with the aura coming from the five adventurers. Elijah took the lead in explaining everything while Alexia, Novius, Raylen, and Theon chipped in every now and then.
"I have to tell Lorsen about this right now. I-I don't know how he will react. Also, the Rusteire family will be sent word as well… I don't know how that is even possible. The kappa's are some of the slowest reproducing beasts considering their nature. The entire waterfall chasm to be filled with orange core beasts at every checkpoint is hard to think about. I will arrange transportation for you all back to your homes. Please seek help from the hunter counseling department. It has solely been made for situations like this."
Elijah didn't ask about when he could take on another mission. He couldn't bring himself to act, thinking he is cool in the head as he had a placebo effect that put himself into a state of depression from the sympathy he gave to his friends.
"We will get past this. I hope to see you both soon." Elijah, Novius, and Alexia said their goodbyes to Theon and Raylen, and went their separate ways in their closed carriages.
The grand wooden door of the Weltor's opened up to a sight of distress. The parents were called after seeing the state of the trio. Hugs and kisses were given by every family member. George sent word to the maids to prepare three hot baths with an assortment of herbs and minerals perfect for making the body feel like it's floating on clouds.
"They were all killed. Emelia, Harry, and Aslan." Each poor soul told their story based on what Elijah had told them. Explanations would be made in the next coming days, but the only focus for now was family.
Elijah was in a large washroom filled with the aroma of different scents. Lavender, peppermint, and magnesium salts that came from lush and safe areas in The Catacombs. Water beaded off the nude muscularly defined body of Elijah while laying within the round glossy cylindrical tub.
Everything in this kingdom seems thoughtful and intentful besides the envy within everyone's hearts. How could something so "good" be poisoned by something unknown to almost everyone here? There must be people who know of the mysteries of this kingdom. The origin, reasons for animals that provide us food, whatever is underneath the whirlpool, and even the origin magic. Something this powerful couldn't exist without reason.
Julian brought Elijah fresh and comfortable clothes from his wardrobe. "Elijah, I know that you want to go to the frontlines, but everyone thinks not just you, but also Alexia and Novius should take a break from The Catacombs."
"I know, mother and father are worried, but I don't want to stop. Unnatural circumstances keep showing up, things that don't normally happen. The next mission will be a success. I can't stop just because of a tragedy. I have to keep going."
"I support you Elijah. You seem very smart for your age, even smarter than me. So please, do not stop moving forward. Also, I wanted to tell you, I am actually going to stop going into The Catacombs. I am a bright red core mage, and I don't want to fight beasts. I want to use my affinity to help the architecture guild when the wall is retaken."
"Wow! That is a big decision, and I am glad you are not blindly following what everyone else is doing."
Elijah's conversation with Julian was like a breath of fresh air. No one was trying to stop him from achieving his goals, or at least the goals he had told everyone. Julian is paving his own path and not blindly following the flow of the world, or what is "normal". Elijah was reminded of his old life, the beginning of the leaf he had turned when he chose the path of what he envisioned freedom was, and doing what he truly wanted to do with his life. This conversation hardened his resolve, and allowed new goals to proliferate.