JÒN (to himself): My eyes are not deceiving me. It really is snowing. There's a thick layer of snow on the ground, and the trees I see in the distance are all covered in snow as well. Could this be an illusion?
Rakaia: Damn it! I completely lost track of him. He went invisible again, and I can't sense his aura at all. Actually, I can't feel any of your auras either. What the hell?
Leah: You aren't the only one, I've completely lost my magical sense as well. Could this have anything to do with the fog?
Elyria: No! This is a shaman ritual. Basically, it's a very advanced mind affecting spell. We're not in the real world anymore, and thus, there are different rules. We're not missing only our magical senses, but also our magical powers. You were already wearing collars, so you can't tell the difference, but Rakaia and I cannot cast any spells at this moment. Also, it would appear that ranged weapons are not allowed either, since Jòns crossbow is gone. I think magical items are still functional, though, since the shaman must have used his staff in order to turn invisible.
JÒN: So, what's happening in the real world, right now? Does the shaman plan to kill us while we're trapped in here?
Elyria: No, Shaman rituals are different from other mind affecting spells. First of all, time flows differently in this place. A year spent in this world amounts to only one second in the real world. Secondly, the shaman is also trapped in here with us."
Hagrid: So, what's the purpose, then? Isn't this like some sort of a dream? Aren't we just going to wake up once we die?
Elyria: You may not be familiar with these types of spells, since they aren't all that common on the other continents, but this isn't anything like a dream. You can feel pain, you can concentrate without waking up, and if you die in here, you die in the real world as well. What's actually happening is that our souls from the ethereal plane are no longer directly connected to the earthen plane, but to another pocket universe from the ethereal plane. In order to reattach our souls to our bodies, we'd need to close our eyes, think about the last moments before we were transported here, get a clear image of those caverns into our heads and then focus on it, with the conviction that the image in our heads represents the real world, while the world we are standing in is only an illusion. The image in our heads would then slowly start to become more vivid, until it would eventually replace the world in front of our eyes.
Damien: And in order to get out of here, we would all need to do that? Including the shaman?
Elyria: Exactly! Our problem is the shaman. Until we get rid of him, we won't be able to return to the real world. That's why he trapped himself in here with us.
Hagrid: How are we supposed to fight him if he's got complete control of this world? Wouldn't it be like fighting some sort of god?
Elyria: No! The shaman does not have any control over this world. He only created it. Once he trapped himself in here, he became forced to follow the same rules as the rest of us. That is the nature of these shaman rituals. He doesn't have any magic either, except for the spells in his staff. And since he's been gracious enough to let us finish our conversation, I would suspect that he has no intention of fighting us head on. He must be waiting for something.
As the fog disappears completely, we see that there are several pairs of red eyes shining in the dark depths of the forest, and we start to hear several low continuous growls as the creatures are getting closer. When they come out of the woods, we learn that they are in fact wolves, though they are at least three times the size of normal ones, and their fur is as black as coal.
Five of them start running towards our group, while Damien and Hagrid step in front of us and assume their battle stances. Three of the wolves go right for them, but the other two circle around and go for Leah and Elyria instead. Damien defends himself with his shield from one wolf, while he slices the other's head clean off. Hagrid punches the third wolf in its mouth and sends three of its fangs flying, as the animal squeals in pain.
Leah waits for the beast with her dagger in hand. The animal dashes towards her, but she manages to get behind it in the blink of an eye, and she slits its throat with a single motion, as her hands get drenched in the wolf's blood. The look in her eyes changed completely when she started fighting the wolf. She's always had a sort of cold look about her, but this is more than that. This isn't her just being ruthless or efficient. Those are the eyes of a beast hunting its prey. This must be why she was able to survive alone in a jungle at the age of twelve, before she even had any magic. In order to avoid being hunted, she was forced to become the hunter instead.
Elyria, who does not have any weapons, begins to jump around using Lily's acrobatic techniques, in order to confuse the wolf and avoid getting bitten. Once Damien and Hagrid finish dealing with their own wolves, they come and kill the one attacking Elyria as well.
Hagrid: This is why the shaman didn't take any actions. He was too busy getting away from here, so that his own wolves wouldn't attack him. Luckily for us, he left a trail of footsteps in the snow that we can easily follow.
He then points towards the trail of footsteps left by the shaman, which leads into the only part of the forest which doesn't seem to be crawling with wolves.
Damien: If we all go after the shaman now, we'll have to fight wolves every step of the way. That would only make it easier for him to finish us off. Someone should go after the shaman alone, while the rest of us provide a distraction. Preferably someone who is confident that he can defeat the shaman in a duel and who can handle himself against a few wolves, in case they don't all take the bait.
JÒN: I volunteer for the job. I should be able to handle the shaman by myself if he can only cast spells from his staff.
Damien: Are you sure?
JÒN: We don't know how many wolves are going to come out of that forest. You and Hagrid are our best bet against them, so you should both stay here in case things get really bad. I'll try to end this as quickly as possible. Wish me luck.
I then begin running towards the woods, in the direction of the shaman's footsteps. As I enter the forest, I slow down my pace, making sure that there are no traps or ambushes set up ahead of me.
The footsteps have been leading me in the same direction since I started following them, and there have been no obstacles of any kind in my path since I walked into the woods. Could it be that the shaman was too busy getting as far away as possible from the wolves to lay down any kind of traps?
I start to pick up my pace, while at the same time trying to remain as vigilant as possible. When it looks as if I am finally beginning to catch up with the shaman, I hide behind a tree, and then I take a good long look ahead of me. The trail of footsteps ends abruptly, in the middle of the snow, and there is no one in sight. He must still be invisible. But why isn't he moving? Did he see me before I hid behind the tree?
It doesn't matter. If he saw me, then I'll just have to make sure to dodge whatever spell he decides to throw at me. If he didn't, then it means I still have the element of surprise. I move quickly and silently from tree to tree, until I get close enough to the shaman, and then I rush towards him, with my knife in front of me. To my surprise, there was no one waiting for me at the end of the trail of footsteps, and all I got to stab was empty air. Does this mean that he teleported away?
JÒN (to himself): No, that can't be it! He wouldn't have walked such a long distance if he could have just teleported right away. That only leaves one possibility. He must have covered his last set of footprints and hidden himself somewhere close, waiting for the right moment to strike.
I turn around and see the shaman standing several feet behind me, with his staff fully charged and a wicked grin on his face. A bright blue magical projectile shoots out of his staff and straight for my face. I barely have the time to react, but luckily my fast reflexes help me get out of its way just in time. The shaman frowns, and he starts charging up his staff yet again, in order to cast another spell. I grab my dagger firmly in both hands, and I begin to rush towards the ogre.
Luckily for me, his staff takes too long to charge up, and I manage to stick my knife in his chest before he gets to cast another spell. The shaman spits out blood, and as I prepare to land the finishing blow, the world suddenly starts spinning around me, and then I soon find myself standing in the middle of a cave again, with all of my friends beside me. They also seem to have just woken up, because they are now looking around themselves to confirm that we are indeed back in the abandoned mines below the ogre fort.
Before I get the time to fully regain my senses, a bright green light envelops Elyria, and then it disappears almost as quickly as it appeared. The shaman then starts laughing hoarsely, before coughing some blood on the cave's floor.
Shaman (coughs blood): This is the end, cortana. For both of us. That spell I just cast on you was a curse of death. A shamanic spell that kills both the caster and its target. You likely have less than an hour left to live. My life was forfeited the moment I managed to get myself cornered within my own shaman ritual, but at least now I'll get the satisfaction of dragging the traitor who started all of this mess to the underworld with me!
He then laughs hoarsely again, and he begins to turn into ashes.
Hagrid: Damn it!
Hagrid shouts, as he jumps towards the shaman, but all he gets to punch are his ashes, which are now slowly piling up on the floor of the caverns.
Elyria was in a brief state of shock after the shaman's reveal, but now her expression is slowly darkening. After a few more seconds, she decides to go to sit down on the floor, with her back leaning against one of the cave's walls.
Elyria: What are you waiting for? Get going. I'll hold the ogres off here. It's not like there's much else I can do in the little time I have left.
Rachel: It's true, then? What the ogre said?
Elyria: Yes! The curse is much too powerful for me to break with any of the spells I know. The shaman was being generous when he said that I'd get to live for another hour. From what I can tell, the curse will likely kill me in the next fifteen minutes.
Rachel: No! You can't give up! You can't give up like this! There has to be a way to—
Rachel stops mid-sentence, because she sees Damien starting to move towards Elyria. When he reaches her, he lifts his sword and looks at the cortana, without uttering a word. Elyria looks back at him and she laughs.
Elyria: My apologies, I nearly forgot that you wanted to have me purified. Well, here I am. Give it your best shot. With a little luck, after you kill me, you might be able to wake Lily up from her stasis so that she can say her goodbyes.
Damien (readies his sword):Shut up!
Rachel: Damien, no!
Damien sticks his sword into Elyria's right leg.
A bright white light surrounds the cortana for a few seconds, and then a green smoke starts to come out of her, which evaporates into thin air soon afterwards.
Elyria (shocked): You… What did you…
Damien: I broke the curse. I am both a white mage and an enchanter, remember? It's only natural that my sword can do something as trivial as dispelling an ordinary death curse, without requiring me to use magic. This makes us even. You saved my life and I saved yours. Now we can move on with our lives and never speak of these events ever again.
Elyria: …Agreed
After a while, and she uses her healing magic to patch up her wound.
Rachel goes over to Elyria and gives her a big hug.
Rachel: Elyria, thank the gods! You're going to be okay now, right? There are no other curses?
Elyria: No… No other curses as far as I can tell. There's still the matter of the hordes of ogres approaching us, though…
Hagrid (grins): No need to worry about that! I've got a plan. But first, we all need to get out of the caves. Come on! Move, move, move!
As we all get out of the abandoned mines, Hagrid jumps high into the air, and he punches the rocks above the cave's entrance. The whole rocky wall crumbles and completely blocks the path that leads to the caverns.
Damien: That's it? That's your plan?
Hagrid (grins): Simple, but effective, don't you think?
Damien: Did it cross your mind that they might have warriors within their ranks that are capable of moving a few rocks out of their way? Not to mention all the mages that can just blow the rocks up.
Rakaia: If they try to use explosions, they'll just bury themselves in. And from what I've seen while I was walking around the fort, the captain was their only warrior that had strength comparable to the dwarf's. They can still use air magic to move the rocks out of the way, but it will take them a while. That gives us more than enough time to make ourselves scarce.
Hagrid: There you have it! Come on, let's go get our bags.
Rakaia: Wait, I'm sensing two ogres hiding invisibly near the base of the hill.
Damien: Are they in our way?
Rakaia: No, but they might try to ambush us later.
Leah: I think it's better to get rid of them. If we let them live, they'll see which way we went and tell the other ogres when they get out of the mines.
Damien: Maybe you're right. One can never be too careful. Let's get this done as quickly as possible and then head for our bags.
We follow Rakaia's directions and reach the two ogres in less than a minute. When they see that we discovered them, the ogres dismiss their invisibility spell and try to attack us with their clubs, but Elyria beheads them both with a single motion of her water whip, and then we all go back and head towards the place where we buried our backpacks.
Once we dig up all of our belongings, we waste no time and we begin our long journey back to the sacred woods ruins. We keep going at a relatively fast pace for the first hour, in order to make sure that we put enough distance between ourselves and the ogres, but after confirming several times that we we're not being followed, we start to slow down a bit. The sun had already set when we left the stronghold, but there are many stars in the sky tonight, and the moon is almost full, so we decide to keep going until we are comfortable enough with the distance between ourselves and the ogres' territory.
Elyria: Healer! After I released you from your cell, you promised that you wouldn't attack me until we escaped the fort. Now that we're at a safe enough distance from the ogres, you are no longer bound by that promise. Should I begin to prepare my defenses?
Damien: No, I… I don't really feel like fighting anymore today…
Elyria (eyes him suspiciously): I see.
Rachel (changes the subject): I'm so glad that we didn't run into any mages since we left the ruins! It would have taken us a lot longer to complete our mission if we'd kept encountering people who attacked Leah out of the blue.
Elyria: Why are they attacking you, specifically? Aren't most people in this group part of the same tournament?
Leah: Yes, but I'm the only one here who gets mistaken for a cortana. Lily tried to teach me how to suppress my aura well enough to pass as a normal human, but I just couldn't keep up with her.
Elyria: That girl has extraordinary talent when it comes to learning these things herself, but she is a very poor teacher. The technique in itself isn't that difficult to master. You only need a little guidance to learn the basics. For instance, a good starting point would be to practice calming the flow of your aura first. Here, let me show you how it's done.
Elyria spent the next two hours teaching Leah how to suppress her aura, step by step, while we kept marching towards the ruins. By the time she was done, I could see that they'd made enormous progress. Leah's magical energy was barely noticeable when she suppressed it now, and you could very well confuse her with a normal human if you didn't examine her closely. The lessons Elyria provided were interesting enough that even Hagrid and I joined in mid-way, and we both spent more than half an hour doing various exercises suggested by her to help us hide our auras from enemies.
Once we found a good camping spot, we began to set up our tents. Hagrid said that two of his spare tents needed to be fixed before they could be used again, so Rachel offered to share her tent with Leah and Elyria for the night. When we started discussing about how to divide guard duty between ourselves, Leah, Rachel and Hagrid unanimously voted for me and Damien to take the first shift. Their flawless synchronization when they voted for us was suspicious to say the least, but I decided not to call them out on it for the time being.
Before we went to sleep, Hagrid insisted that we hold a toast to celebrate our victory, but nobody seemed to be in the mood for drinking, given how tired they were after today's events. Since nobody else offered, I told Hagrid that I'd share one drink with him before taking my shift. He pulled out two bottles of dwarven ale from his backpack, and then we went to sit ourselves down on two rocks that were facing each other, away from the tents.
Hagrid (opens our two bottles): When giants make a toast, they first spill a bit of ale on the ground, to also give the warriors fallen in battle something to drink. I always get in trouble when I do this in dwarven taverns, so it's refreshing to do it outside for a change.
He raises his bottle.
Hagrid: A toast! For retrieving the chalice and coming one step closer to removing these blasted contraptions from our necks!
We clink the two bottles and then we both spill a bit of ale on the ground, before starting to drink. This is the first time I've tasted anything like this. I felt a strong burning sensation as the ale went down my throat, and I'm already beginning to feel a little dizzy. This doesn't even compare to the strongest drinks available in taverns from the Western Continent.
Hagrid: First time drinking dwarven ale?
JÒN: Yeah, I knew this was supposed to be strong, but I guess I didn't expect it to be this much stronger than anything else I've drunk before.
Hagrid: Aye! This is why I spend so much of my time in the dwarven lands. Plus, the locals are really nice. Most of the tavern owners know that I'm a giant in disguise, but they welcome me with open arms, regardless. Part of that is probably because they'd be losing a quarter of their monthly profit if they'd stop receiving me, but still!
JÒN: Are giants not usually welcome in dwarven lands?
Hagrid: Well, it's nothing official, but many of the dwarves don't really love us giants very much. There's a pretty bloody history between our two peoples, and even though we are at peace now, old grudges still remain. It also doesn't help when some smartass giant decides to go on a rampage in the middle of dwarven territory, just to satisfy his inferiority complex. Most of these troublemakers have been dealt with by our own warriors, but they usually get to do a lot of damage before they're caught, and it's not like the lives they've taken can just be brought back again.
He pauses a bit to take a drink from his bottle.
Hagrid: But enough about politics. We should be discussing more important matters. Like for example, what's going on between you and Rachel? Is it just me, or have you two been getting a little closer in these past two days?
JÒN: We have been getting closer, but not in the way that you might think.
Hagrid: Oh, I get it! So I'm guessing you're not that all interested in Rachel, then. Could it be that you prefer the wilder types, like Leah?
JÒN: Forget Rachel and Leah. What I think what we all want to know is what's going on between you and Rakaia! Have you proposed to her yet?
The dwarf laughs.
Hagrid: Now you're asking the right questions! I've been meaning to do it, but I just couldn't find the right moment! I'm still thinking of an excuse to give Lily or Elyria to lend me the amulet for a while so that the two of us can have some quality time alone together.
He pauses, and we both take another drink.
Hagrid: But in all seriousness, though, if it hadn't been for her intervention earlier today, I'm not sure how well I would have handled myself against that ogre captain. I have no doubts that she'd kill me without hesitation if she ever got out of that amulet, but I guess I do owe her one for now. I've never really had to work together with others to take care of my enemies before. I usually travel and fight alone, so I'm not really used to these kinds of things, but I'll admit that being part of a group has been a nice change of pace for me. To be perfectly honest, I didn't really come to this tournament to win the Eyen. I came here for the experience, mostly, and I'd say it's been going pretty well, so far! What about you, Jòn? What are your plans in case you actually win this tournament?
JÒN: Well, I'm going to use the Eyen to become a mage.
Hagrid: Yeah, I got that, but I mean afterwards. What do you plan to do after you've become a mage?
JÒN (sarcastic): Oh, I'm planning to conquer the world, of course!
Hagrid: Is that so? Then maybe I should hold off on my proposal to Rakaia for the time being. It pains me to let her go like this, but the two of you would make a much better couple!
Rachel: Jòn, you never told me that you fancied Rakaia!
I hear Rachel say in a playful tone, from somewhere behind me.
Rachel: I could talk with Elyria to give you some time alone with her to confess your feelings if you want!
JÒN (turn towards her): That's very kind of you, but I'd rather do things at my own pace, for now. I'm very shy, and I might end up ruining the moment if it's just me and her!
Hagrid grins, as he looks at Rachel.
Hagrid: Should I take it that you've finally changed your mind and decided to join us? I've got many more bottles of ale stashed up in my backpack so there's no need for you to hold back!
Rachel: Actually, no, I only came here because I had a few things to say to Jòn before going to sleep!
Hagrid gets up from his rock.
Hagrid: Say no more! Please, take my seat! I was just about to go back to my tent.
He then raises his bottle again.
Hagrid: Cheers, Jòn!
We both clink our bottles once more, and then we chug down the last of our ale.
Rachel: Okay, Jòn, listen closely! I think you might have already realized by now that—
She pauses mid-sentence and she looks at my face.
Rachel: Jòn, are you drunk?
JÒN: Maybe a little
Rachel giggles.
Rachel: Hold on, I've got some herbs in my backpack that will get you back in shape in no time, and you won't have to worry about a hangover either. I'll be right back!
After she's done searching her backpack, she comes back with a fistful of red leaves, and she tells me that I need to chew on them for thirty seconds. Once I'm done, I realize that my dizziness is completely gone, and I can think clearly again.
Rachel: So, as I was saying, you might have already realized by now that Leah, Hagrid and I had a little discussion before voting for you and Damien to take the first night shift. I'm sorry that we didn't invite you as well, but someone needed to stay with Damien so that he wouldn't get suspicious.
JÒN: Yeah, I kind of figured that something was wrong when I saw how well in sync you three were. So, what's this all about, then?
Rachel: Well, you know how Elyria said that Lily still needs to remain in stasis until at least tomorrow evening?
JÒN: Yeah, I remember.
Rachel: The thing is that Elyria hasn't slept at all since before her shift last night, and I'm starting to get a bit worried. I think she's afraid that Damien will kill her in her sleep if he sees her vulnerable, and she no longer has Lily to protect her while she's not awake. She probably only continued to travel with us because she would be in much more danger alone than in a group, considering all of the powerful mages roaming around the continent right now and the fact that she is too tired to keep suppressing her aura until tomorrow.
JÒN: So you want me to keep Damien busy while you and Leah try to convince her to take a nap?
Rachel: Yes, that's why I persuaded Hagrid to say that two of his tents are unusable, so that Leah and I could sleep in the same tent as Elyria. I think we can get her to fall asleep if we promise that Leah will keep an eye on Rakaia amulet to see if she tries to escape again.
I sigh.
JÒN: I know that Damien isn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, but I think you're underestimating him a little. I would be surprised if he didn't already figure out your plan…
Rachel: I don't care if he did or did not figure out my plan. What I want is for him to stay away from Elyria so that she can finally get a good night's sleep. I don't think that Damien would try to hurt her while she's unconscious, but keeping him as far away from her as possible is the only way Elyria can feel safe right now. I'm really sorry that I forced you into this, but I'd much rather have you with Damien than Hagrid, and I can't join you because I need to stay by Elyria's side, since I'm probably the only one that she somewhat trusts in our group. But if you don't feel like going through with this, I understand… I'll try and see if Hagrid—
JÒN: No, no, that's not what I meant! Look, here's what we're gonna do. I'll make sure that Damien doesn't come near your tent during our shift, but if he gives any hint of having figured out what you're up to, I'm not going to start making up lies about it. If he asks, I'll tell him the truth. Deal?
Rachel smiles, and she shakes my hand.
Rachel: Deal!
JÒN: Alright, then! Well, in that case, I'll be off to begin my night shift. Wish me luck!
Rachel: Good luck, Jòn! And thank you…
She then heads towards her tent, while I grab my crossbow and start walking towards the place where Damien was sitting and polishing his weapon.
Damien: Took you long enough. Did Rachel tell you to keep me busy while they try to put the cortana to sleep?
JÒN (to himself): So he really did have it all figured out.
JÒN: Yeah! She just finished giving me the briefing.
Damien sighs, as he slowly stops polishing his sword.
Damien: Listen, Jòn, I realize that I've been a bit of an ass lately. Even more so than usual. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry…
Hearing Damien give me a heartfelt apology is feeling about as natural as seeing a fire elemental bathe in a mountain spring. However, he does appear to be sincere about this.
JÒN: It's okay. Don't worry about it!
Damien: No, it's not okay. I've been stubbornly hanging onto the idea that cortanas cannot possibly be trustworthy, and I was almost willing to start a fight with you because of it. Even after clear evidence had been presented to me of the contrary, I still refused to believe it, and that almost ended up costing my life.
JÒN: You're talking about that time when you were hanging from a wooden beam in the caverns and Elyria offered you her hand?
Damien: Yes…
JÒN: Come to think of it, you didn't start acting this way only after meeting Elyria. You've been acting strangely ever since Gaius told us about artificial mages and the Institution of Truth.
I pause for a little.
JÒN: Now that I think about it, I don't remember you speaking a single word to Leah after you found out that she was an artificial mage and not a cortana.
Damien looks at me for a few moments, as realization dawns upon him.
Damien: Jòn, you're right! I really haven't spoken with Leah at all since that day. I don't know what's wrong with me.
JÒN: A lot of things are wrong with you, Damien. You're lucky that you have a friend like me to accept you for what you are.
Damien: You know, just because I'm in the middle of an existential crisis here, doesn't mean that I can't still smack you in the head with this branch for being a smartass.
JÒN: Fine, fine! You want to know my honest opinion about this, then?
Damien:Sure! Let's hear it.
JÒN: Alright, Well, what I'm thinking is that you stopped talking to Leah because you've been subconsciously resenting her for proving you wrong.
Damien: What are you saying? That I've been blaming her for not turning out to be a real cortana like I thought she'd be? I mean, I know that my pride can get in the way of my reasoning sometimes but, this… I mean… I wouldn't…
JÒN: Listen, It doesn't matter why you did it. What's important is what you plan to do about it now.
Damien: Yeah, I guess you're right…
He pauses a bit before he continues.
Damien: Tomorrow, I'll try to make things right. I don't think I can bring myself to apologize to the cortana, but I'll try my best to get along with her tomorrow, and to show her that I no longer retain any hostility towards her. As for Leah, I'll need some time to think about how I'm going to approach this, but whatever happens, I'm not planning to let things go on like this. Thanks for hearing me out, Jòn… I think I'm feeling a little better now
It was a few hours later that Leah and Hagrid came to take over our shift. I asked Leah in private about how things went with Elyria, and she told me that the cortana was a bit reluctant at first, but they managed to get her to fall asleep eventually. They couldn't convince her to shut off her alarm, though, so she'd keep waking up every hour or so, in order to check up on Rakaia, but at least she got enough rest to pull her through the next day.
After a good night's sleep, we all got up early in the morning, packed our tents, and resumed our journey, aiming to reach the ruins by sundown. Since we knew exactly which way we were headed this time around, we could afford to keep going without stopping to look for every single one of Lily's markers, which saved us quite a few hours on our way back.
Due to everything that's happened in the last few days, our group was visibly starting to become a lot more closely knit. Even though I couldn't say that we all got along perfectly, the fact of having survived through such hardships together by trusting and relying on each other seemed to have developed a certain bond between us. Even Rakaia was starting to act more like a member of the group. As a reward for her cooperation yesterday, her locket was left open, so every now and then she would join our conversations by adding her unique commentary, even though most it was either somehow tied to the atrocities she committed during the still night, or a dark joke of some kind.
Throughout our journey back to the ruins, Damien had tried on multiple occasions to initiate casual conversation with Elyria, but his awkward attempts at trying to make up with her only managed to make her even more suspicious of his motives. Despite his boasting, however, he still didn't utter a single word to Leah by the time we'd reached our destination.
The vixen was quite surprised when she learned that we'd returned with the chalice. I don't think she was really expecting us to pull it off. However, she kept her word and removed all of our collars upon confirmation that the artifact we'd brought her was indeed the one she was looking for. Since we didn't really feel like spending any more time than necessary in this place, we waved goodbye to the vixen and the leopard, we started heading out of the forbidden forest, and we prayed that we'd never see either of them again for the rest of our lives.
Once we put some good distance between ourselves and the edge of the forbidden forest, we decide to set up camp near a small river, in an area without many trees. Lily, who has recently woken up from her stasis, is now being filled in on the details of what had happened since she'd been put to sleep.
Lily: I'm so glad that Lettie's plan worked out in the end! I got a little worried when she told me that she needed to put me in a stasis for two days, but I decided to trust her judgment.
Leah: Wait, did you just say Lettie's plan? Didn't you say before that both of you worked on this plan?
Lily: Well… The truth is that Lettie is the one who usually makes all of our strategies. I just follow her lead most of the time… At first, I didn't think she would help out this time around, since she was always making sure to keep her distance and not get involved with you guys. But then something happened that made her change her mind in that night before we reached the fort. She wouldn't tell me what happened, exactly, but all of a sudden she'd become so much more active in planning the whole operation, and she even took care to minimize the risks to your safety! I don't know what got into her, but I'm really glad that things turned out the way they did!
Rachel smiles at me. I think we both know what made Elyria change her mind before we reached the ogres. It seems that our discussion in private with her during her night shift had a lot more of an impact than we'd originally thought.
Damien: Wait, so you're saying that you're not the one who convinced Elyria to carry out the plan?
Lily: No, like I said, she was the one who—
Lily starts to say but then she gasps loudly.
Lily: Did… Did you just call Lettie by her real name?
Damien: Yeah, I guess…
Lily: Does that mean you're friends now?
Damien/Elyria: No!!!
Lily: Oh my gods, it's true! You really are friends now!
Rakaia: You should have seen them bickering like two lovebirds during our whole trip back! It's like they're both made for each other!
Lily: Wait, your locket's open? How come your locket's open? Lettie never leaves it open!
Rakaia: Hah! That is a thing of the past. Due to my outstanding performance during our last mission, I have been promoted to a full-time member of the group! That means that you all need to listen to my opinions from now on. For example, I think that before going to sleep, we should all hunt a few animals and put their heads on spikes all around our camp in order to ward off invaders!
Elyria: Don't push your luck
Lily: Oh gods! So many things have happened while I was asleep! I can barely keep track of them anymore! Hold on, I need to write this all down!
After finishing our conversation with Lily and setting up all of our tents, we all took a little break to eat some food. Since the girl had magical energy to spare after her long nap, she offered to conjure for each of us a dish of our own choosing. I wasn't particularly hungry, so I just asked for some lemon cakes. Everyone else went all out, however, and asked for the most extravagant dishes that came to their minds, like manticore ribs seasoned with a variety of spices, or griffin wings coated with honey. Everyone except Leah, that is. Given that she hadn't really had the luxury of ever tasting any food other than the one she'd hunted herself, she simply asked for roasted duck legs and she went to eat by herself on a log a few dozen feet away from our camp.
After eating my fill of lemon cakes, I went over to Leah's side, to see how she was doing. I caught her staring blankly at one of the trees in front of her, and she didn't even notice me until I placed myself right in front of her.
JÒN: Still thinking about Gwen?
Leah looks a bit taken aback by my straightforwardness, but in the end she decides to answer me honestly.
Leah: Yes… She's been on my mind ever since I woke up in those ruins, but I've been trying my best to not let it show, given the situation we were in.
JÒN: Here, have some lemon cakes. I've already eaten my fill!
Leah: Thanks…
JÒN: You know… After you guys fell unconscious due to Gwen's attack, I managed to stay awake for a little while longer, because of my higher resistance to electricity.
When she hears my words, Leah raises her head and starts watching me intently.
JÒN: I saw the thackeray she was working with. They both wanted to have us killed, but your friend stood up to them. She said she'd kill them if they laid a finger on either of us. She's the reason why we're still alive right now.
Leah laughs.
Leah: And also the reason why we've almost been killed by a vixen goddess and by a fort full of ogres in the past few days. I get why you're telling me this, and I am grateful for your concern, but I already suspected that what she said and did was her way of trying to look out for me. That, however, still does not excuse her behavior and the way she put us all in even greater danger through her actions. She's always been like this. She would not think twice before doing what she thought was right, but that would often only result in her making things even worse than they were before. I swear I'm going to give her one hell of a beating when I see her again.
JÒN: Does that mean that you're still going to participate in the tournament?
Leah: Yes, I…
She pauses.
Leah: I no longer have any leads on Gwen's whereabouts. And if the organizers eventually announce some objectives, I'll have to at least try and complete their tasks, to avoid getting disqualified for lack of participation. Until then, I was thinking of sticking around with you guys. That is to say, if…
She pauses again.
Leah: …If you'll have me…
JÒN: Of course we'll have you, Leah! I know that Damien has been acting a little strange lately, but trust me when I say that—
I pause mid-sentence because I see that Damien is now heading towards us, with a very uncomfortable look on his face.
Leah: Speaking of the devil…
Damien (looks at Leah): Listen… There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while, but I couldn't really find the right moment.
Leah: Oh gods, you're not going to propose to me, are you?
Damien: Damn it, no!
Damien gives a low growl, but then he immediately tries to regain his composure.
Damien: That's not what I meant. It's just that… lately I haven't really talked to you. Actually, I haven't even spoken a word to you for days.
Leah (surprised): Really? I never noticed.
Damien looks like he's about to lose his cool again, but this time he manages to reign in his emotions.
Damien: I stopped talking to you right after Gaius told us that you were an artificial mage. I was just so convinced that you were a cortana from the very beginning, and after I heard what he said I…
He pauses.
Damien: I was wrong... Even if on the surface I was acting like your friend, in reality I never let my guard down around you, and I was expecting you to betray us and turn into a monster at any moment. And to make matters worse, after learning the truth, instead of trying to make amends, I spent my time sulking like some four-year-old who'd dropped his candy bar in a sewer. I realize that it is way beyond late now, but I couldn't just let things go on like this forever. The reason why I came here to you tonight is that I wanted to… apologize.
It looked like it took every ounce of his strength to utter that last word. I don't think I've seen him this tense even when we were battling the hydra in the thackeray ruins.
Leah: I'm sorry, what was that? You'll have to repeat that last word you said, because I could barely hear it.
Damien: Damn it, woman! You know very well what I said. Don't make me repeat it! Now, do you accept my apology or not?!
Immediately after Damien finishes his sentence, Leah starts to laugh. But her laughter is sounding much more natural than ever before. When he first heard her, Damien looked as if he were about to blow a fuse again, but then he realized that there was no hint of malice in Leah's laughter, so he eventually calmed down.
Leah: I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to mock you. It's just that I didn't think that this would be the kind of thing that could trouble you so much. Of course I accept your apology! I was being honest when I said that I never noticed you ignoring me all this time. The two of us never really talked all that much, so none of this seemed strange to me. But I really appreciate you coming out to me like this. Thank you!
She smiles.
Hagrid: I'm not sure what this is all about, but I'm willing to bet that this would be the best moment to finally hold that victory celebration!
He then places five bottles of dwarven ale on the ground and grins at us.
Leah: I suppose so
Damien: Hold on! Our collars might have been removed, but we're still in dangerous territory here. What if we are attacked by some mages or monsters after we have our little party? Who's going to defend us from our enemies if we're all plastered?
Rachel: There's no need to worry about that!
She approaches us, holding a small pouch in her left hand.
Rachel: These leaves I have in my bag are a natural remedy for drunken stupors. You just need to chew on them for half a minute, and all dizziness will be gone in a flash, without even having to worry about a hangover afterwards!
Hagrid: Perfect! Then there's no need for us to hold back! I'll go bring more bottles!
Lily: Ooooh, is that dwarven ale? I've always wanted to try dwarven ale!
Hagrid: No ale for you, young lady. Little kids should not be drinking alcoholic beverages of any kind. It's not good for you.
Lily: But I'm not a little kid! I'm thirty years old!
Elyria: You may be thirty years old, but your alcohol tolerance is that of a nine year old. You can barely even stand on your feet after drinking a glass of wine.
Lily: Lettie, you're not helping! You're not helping at all!
The rest of us start to laugh
After the long overdue celebration was finally over, we each went to sleep in our respective tents, except for Hagrid and Damien, who took the first shift. For those few hours while we drank together, it felt hard to believe that we'd been risking our lives fighting ogres just one day prior. It almost felt like I was back at home, spending a night out in a tavern with some friends, far away from all the madness of this tournament. It was nice to have a night like this for a change. And who knows? Maybe the worst is all behind us, and every night from now on will be like this as well. A man is allowed to dream, right?
With these final thoughts, I put my head on the pillow, and I awoke the next morning, feeling completely refreshed. This time around I got the lucky draw, and I didn't need to take any shifts, which was a nice change of pace from all the sleepless nights I've been having lately. Since we didn't have a fixed time limit anymore, we all decided to sleep in today, so it was already ten o'clock in the morning by the time I got out of my tent. Taking a look around the camp, it seemed that everyone else had already gotten up for some time, and they were just about to finish their breakfast.
Damien: He awakens at last! Did you enjoy your ten hours of uninterrupted sleep, Jòn? It's too bad you missed breakfast, though. Lily really outdid herself this time, too! Her food making skills are simply divine. But don't worry, I'm sure we can still scrounge up some cold leftovers for you to eat if you're really hungry!
JÒN: I see it didn't take you long to turn into an ass again? Whatever happened to that apology you gave me the other night?
Damien: Hey now, let's not get things mixed up, here! What I apologized for was being more of an ass than usual. I'd say that my attitude right now is well within the boundaries of my regular day to day assholeness!
JÒN: Point taken
I take out some dry meat and an apple out of my backpack and start to eat.
Lily: Jòn, why didn't you tell me you woke up? I was waiting for you before making your breakfast so it wouldn't get cold!
JÒN: Yeah, well Damien 'forgot' to mention that you were still taking orders. Don't sweat it, I wasn't really all that hungry anyway.
Lily: Awww, but I was going to surprise you with a traditional dish from your homeland.
JÒN: Traditional?
Lily: Yes, I was going to make quail eggs with ham and Bagelberry cheese.
JÒN: That's… less of a traditional dish from the Western Continent, and more of a select meal eaten by only a handful of nobles on our continent. The rest of us usually just eat whatever we have lying around the pantry for breakfast.
Lily: Huh! Well, the more you know…
After everyone is done eating, we decide to hold a meeting and establish what our plans are, now that we're finally free of our collars.
Damien (points towards me and Leah): The three of us had already promised Rachel that we'd escort her safely to her hometown, so that's where we're headed right now. Hagrid, Lily, you have no obligations to keep travelling with us, so we can part ways here if you want.
Hagrid: Actually, travelling with this group has provided me with the most fun I've had in years. The objectives of the tournament still haven't been announced, so I don't really have anything specific to do until then. If it's all the same to you, then I'd rather tag along!
Leah: How about you, Lily?
Lily (hesitant): Well… I wouldn't want to be a bother to anyone…
Hagrid: What, are you kidding me? You can spit fire, jump on walls and make food out of nothing! Who would be crazy enough to not want you in their group?
Rachel: Nobody here would ever turn you away after how much you've helped us, Lily. And don't you even for a second think that you could ever be a bother to us. The question here is what you want to do. Would you like to keep travelling with us?
Lily (excited): Yes! I would love to!
Leah: And Elyria? How does she feel about all of this?
All of our eyes are fixed upon the girl, as her own eyes turn bright blue, and Elyria starts looking around her nervously.
Elyria: I guess it… wouldn't hurt us too much to accompany you for a while longer…
Damien: It's settled, then! Pack your bags, we're leaving in half an hour.
Rakaia: Now, hold on there! Is nobody going to ask me how I feel about all of this? What if I told you that I am deeply unsatisfied with this group's abysmal kill per hour ratio and that I'd only consider continuing our collaboration if you promise to work on improving it, huh? What then?
We all stare at Rakaia's amulet for a few seconds, until Hagrid decides to break the silence.
Hagrid: Alright, then! It's time for us to start dismantling our tents. Meet you all back here in thirty minutes!
Rakaia (shouts): Hey! Hey! Don't you dare ignore me! Do you hear me? Come back here! I'm not done complaining yet!
It takes me a while, but after I'm done with my tent and my backpack, I head back towards our meeting spot, where everyone except Leah seems to have already arrived. As I get closer, I see that Lily is currently spinning Rakaia's amulet by the chain with a displeased expression on her face.
Lily: This chain is starting to get old. We'll have to get a new one the next time we're in a city.
Rakaia: That's great! Now, if you're done testing the chain's durability, maybe you could stop with the spinning?!
She grabs the amulet and puts it back around her neck.
Lily: Oh right, sorry! I forgot you had motion sickness.
Hagrid (laughs): Wait, seriously? The almighty invincible cortana can't handle a little spinning?
Elyria: It's because she's trapped in the amulet. It's messing with her senses. She didn't have any problems like this when she was possessing animal bodies.
Damien: Oh good, Leah's coming, I guess we should be good to go, then.
Hagrid: Where are we headed, exactly?
Rachel: The city of Thilias. It's a small harbor town near the southern coast. It's lovely this time of year!
Leah: Okay, I'm here! Let's get going.
Lily: Wait! I just remembered something. The plates! I forgot to wash the plates.
Damien: Who cares about the plates? Can't you just conjure new ones out of nowhere like you do with the food?
Lily: Yeah, but it would be a waste to just leave them here. They sell for a pretty good price on the market. This won't take long, I promise. I'll just pick them up quick and wash them in the river. I'll be right back!
Hagrid (to Damien): You know, I've always wondered about something. If they call you guys white mages, then shouldn't necromancers be called black mages? You know, to keep the theme going?
Damien: Actually, that's a common misconception. This has nothing to do with warriors of the light fighting the forces of darkness. The only reason why white mages are called like that is because of the bright light that appears when they cast most of their spells. It's not really an official name, but I guess it kind of stuck. Some white mages with a stick up their arse sometimes even get offended when they're called like that, and they—
Damien stops talking, because a familiar figure just appeared out of thin air in front of him. A boy with his eyes closed, his hands in his pockets and a polite smile on his face.
Theo: Greetings, friends! I come bearing news!
Damien (frowns): Theo…
Theo: Now, now, There's no need to be so hostile! I only came to help!
JÒN: Wait, how did you find us?
Theo: By tracing your auras, of course! I just finished my business on the other side of the island, and I thought I'd pop by to visit.
JÒN: How could you possibly have identified us just by our auras from that far away?
Theo: Our auras are much more complex than you may think, Jòn. Most people only use them to learn of a person's magical prowess, and maybe to understand their basic emotional state, but a person's aura is capable of showing us much more than that. With enough practice, you will see that each person's aura is unique, and it can be used to track them down from a great distance, if your magical sense is sharp enough. Mine happens to cover the whole island of Avalon.
JÒN: You mean to say that you can find out any person's whereabouts at any given time?
Theo: Yes, but like I said, auras can be used for many other things. For example, if you study a person's aura fluctuations carefully enough, you can tell if they're lying or not. Besides that, you can also find out their age, their race and their mental state. If you tamper with a person's aura enough, you can even stop them from aging! Speaking of auras, Jòn, I happened to see your aura in very close proximity to two thackeray a few days ago. Did you remember to give them my message?
JÒN (to himself): Crap, he's talking about the two thackeray that were with Gwen. His stupid message was the last thing on my mind at the time. What am I supposed to tell him now
JÒN: I'm sorry, I was barely even able to talk at that point. I'd just been electrocuted.
Theo: That is true. I could tell even from afar that you were barely able to hold onto your senses at the time.
JÒN: Yes, exactly! That's why I couldn't—
Theo: However... If delivering my message had been your first priority, you would have surely been able to find the resources necessary to fulfill your task.
JÒN: Wait, listen! We can find other thackeray. We can still deliver the message!
Theo: Jòn... I'm starting to get the impression that you're not taking me very seriously.
JÒN: What are you talking about? Of course I'm taking you seriously!
Theo: This will not do. How am I supposed to get my point across if you're not taking me seriously?
JÒN: Listen, I get why you may be thinking this, but trust me when I say that—
Theo (smiles): I know! I should kill one of your friends! That should make you take me more seriously!
JÒN: What did you… just say?
All of a sudden, I hear Rachel starting to gasp for air loudly.
Damien: Rachel! What's happening?
Rachel tries to say something, but she doesn't manage to get enough air in her lungs to articulate her words properly.
Theo: You shouldn't force yourself to speak, Rachel. After all, the airways to your lungs are currently slowly closing themselves in. You should focus all of your efforts into breathing as much air as possible!
Damien (pulls out his sword): You bastard! I'm going to kill—
Before he gets to finish his sentence, Damien falls to the ground, completely paralyzed, and the same thing happens to everyone else except me and Rachel, immediately afterwards.
Theo: Your friends can't help you this time, Jòn. What are you going to do?
A feeling of panic overwhelms me all of a sudden.
JÒN (to himself): This can't be happening. This can't be happening… We were finally rid of the collars. We were rid of them! Everything was going to be okay. Why did you have to come back? Why?!
Theo: Time is running out, Jòn. Your friend is at the end of her rope. How are you going to stop me?
JÒN (to himself): How am I going to stop him? I still have no idea how he powered up my stat device when I fought the dragon, and I don't know any of his weaknesses. Does he even have weaknesses? Are there any words that can get me out of this like last time? What would make him let her go? What would convince him to let this slide? What am I supposed to do?
All of a sudden, there's a loud noise of plates shattering to our right, and Rachel finally manages to take a deep long breath, as both Theo and I turn to identify the source of the sound. Lily is just standing there, with an expression of pure shock on her face, and with a dozen shattered plates lying at her feet.
Theo (smiles): Well, if it isn't Elyria, of the sacred woods massacre! It's been twenty years, I believe? How have you been?
Lily's expression quickly changes into one of pure rage, as her eyes turn bright red, and her aura starts to fluctuate violently.
Lily (points at Theo): You! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!
She then jumps towards Theo and starts throwing a flurry of fireballs at him, as the stillborn casually dodges each one of them without even using any magic. Lily then shoots a beam of fire that engulfs Theo completely, but it simply passes him by and leaves him unharmed.
Lily: You killed them! You killed them all! Bring them back! Do you hear me?! Bring them back!
She then conjures a dragon made entirely of fire that flies towards Theo and starts to attack him with its claws. Lily also joins the battle up close, and she tries to punch the stillborn with her flaming fists.
He parries the girl's strikes with one hand, and the dragon's with the other
Theo (threatens): Elyria, do you think you can put a stop to this? I'm kind of starting to lose my patience, here…
For a second, the girl's eyes turn bright blue, and I can clearly see the fear in them. The next moment, Lily stops moving, and she looks as if she's being held against her will by an invisible force.
Lily (cries): Let me go, Lettie! Let me go! I have to kill him! I have to!
After trying in vain to free herself for a few more seconds, Lily then turns towards us.
Lily: It's him! Don't you see? He's the one! He's the one who destroyed the city of Valhalla!
>>>End Of Chapter 13<<<