Haaaa... A new day, a new adventure. Who knows what's waiting for us! Ken was still sleeping, so I went for a stroll outside. Oh, there's Ken. Looks like he woke up, too.
"Hey, Ken. Good morning."
"Whaa... good Morning, Blaze."
Last night, we stayed at a tavern Mari recommended. After a relaxing bath, we went straight to bed. Today, we will set foot in the next world.
Ken's lesser dragon, Rin, was still perched on his head. "Hey there, Rin. Good morning."
"Chyuuh," Rin replied with a drowsy voice.
"Still sleepy after all that rest, huh?" I chuckled. Well, figures. He might be a dragon, but he looks just like a bat.
"Blaze, is there anything you need to do here? If not, then let's head out." Ken said he looks excited for the adventures ahead. So am I.
"No, nothing in particular. Let's go."
After that, we went to the adventurers' guild, met with Mari, said goodbyes then went to the gate.
"This is my second time going there," I whispered.
"Second time? Oh, yeah, Mari said something like you got beat up on your first time." Ken said while walking through the gate for the friendly dungeon.
"Don't remind me about that. That damn Rhinotaur. Just thinking about it makes me sigh." The way he played with me... *sigh* "By the way, Ken, you are not from Juris, are you?"
"Right. I'm from Libara, a sub-world linked to Luthandria—the lesser world we're headed to. I came here with the party I was in. I had to leave the party cause they'll stay here for some months." Ken replied as we passed the friendly dungeon and reached the gate for the next world.
"The gate for Luthandria," I shouted. I was pretty excited. Another step and I will be in another world. What will that world be like? How many people will I meet? How many friends will I make?
"Yes, that's the gate. Let's hop in, Blaze."
We went through the gate, and "It's so dark. Why is it so dark here?"
"Don't worry, just keep moving. It's probably just a problem with the light stones. Go ahead, and you may see some light from the outside. Agh, what's the matter, Rin?"
"What happened? Why are you making a ruckus? Are you alright?" What's going on with Rin? Something's wrong. "Oh, I see some light, let's go."
As we went out, the city was in chaos. Adventurers and knights are going here and there.
"What happened here, Ken?"
"Don't know. Let's ask someone."
A knight was coming our way. "Hey kids, what are you doing here? Are you adventurers?" The knight asked.
"Yes, we are," Ken replied to the knight. "We are new here. What happened here? Why is everyone so in a hurry?"
"What happened? That's what we want to know. I don't have enough time, go to the Adventurers' guild to find more." He hastily said and went ahead with his own work.
"Let's go to the guild then, Ken."
After that, we went to the Adventurers' guild of that city.
The guild was as busy as we thought.
"Welcome to Caeloria, adventurers. I am Daphney. How can I help you?" A receptionist of the guild came toward us. "How can I help you?"
"Oh, it's just, what's going on here? What is all this chaos for?" Ken went ahead.
The receptionist's expression dimmed. "Actually, it's been three days. The magical items are behaving oddly. And, please, stay safe."
"Behaving oddly? Then, that explains the light stones. And why is that?" I asked her.
"We don't know. A-and not only that..." Daphney's face got darker, and she looked like she wasn't sure if she should tell us or not. "A-a-adventurers are getting kidnapped! Their party members are looking for them, and the guild is also trying the best, but nobody could find them or knows where they are."
"A-adventurers are getting kidnapped!" Ken raised an eye. "That's rare! How many of them are..."
"S-s-seve--"
"Seven?" I asked before she could finish.
"N-no, it's s-seventeen!"
"What?! Seventeen?! That many adventurers are missing?!" Ken suddenly raised his voice.
"Yes, we are trying our hardest. But it's been three days. Please be safe on your trip, and if you can find anything about the reason, please get in touch with the guild or the knights."
"Okay... We'll. But for now, can you tell me the direction of the Familiaria of this world?" Ken asked.
"Familiaria? What's that?" I didn't know what it meant, so I asked him.
"Oh, I forgot to mention. Familiaria is the place where you can find your familiar. Well, that's if you have enough luck. I had to go to four familiarias to find Rin." Ken replied as he patted Rin and threw a berry in the air for him.
"Four familiarias? That means you went to at least four worlds! Then you are a pro adventurer? What's your adventurer level? Three or maybe four?"
"Not really. I am still at level 1," Ken replied as he placed his hands on the back of his head.
"Huh?!"
"Actually, I went with a mage. He used teleportation magic to get me there."
"Teleportation magic?! I heard it's pretty rare."
"Yeah--okay then, let's find our way there," Ken replied. He seems to be avoiding the subject. Then it's best not to pry too much.
Suddenly, we heard a voice behind us..., "Uhhm, uhhm. Are you perhaps looking for party members?"
A girl was standing behind us. She was a little shorter than us. She had soft pink hair that fell gently around her face, ending just above her shoulders, with a few delicate strands tucked behind her ear. Two tiny white flowers adorned the side of her head. They were adding to her serene charm. Her deep violet eyes held a quiet curiosity. Her skin was pale and smooth, her features gentle and calm—like a watercolor painting brought to life. When she spoke, her voice was soft, almost like a whisper carried by the wind, warm, melodic, and effortlessly soothing.
"Oh, sorry, we didn't notice you, miss," Ken replied. "I am Ken. Ken Beastheart, and this is my familiar, Rin. Say hello to her, Rin."
"Chyuuh."
"Wow, a Shadowdrift! He is your familiar? They are a pretty rare type of lesser."
"Hello. I am Blaze Lumnell. And who might you be?"
"Hello. I am Fiora Mirelune. I am a healer. And I am actually looking forward to a party to go on adventures."
"A healer?! We don't have any healers with us. And also, we are a party of two, so we also need party members. But we are going on an adventure to all kinds of places and are likely to spend less time in a single place. Is that okay with you?"
"So, you guys will be going to all kinds of places?"
Who knows if she doesn't want to make so much of a hurdle? I don't think she'll join after hearing that, or so I thought, but ain't her eyes sparkling just like Ken's?
"Wow. Your eyes are sparkling!" Ken said. "How are you doing that?" He asked.
"Like you are the one to ask." I glanced at him, saying that.
"Man!"
"I am a healer, but I am also an archeologist. And I was genuinely looking for a party like this. But every party had a healer, so they didn't need another one. I want to journey across the verse, gather knowledge, and become the wisest adventurer of all. And, at last, I want to open a magical university, where people of different races can study all they need." When she spoke, I could feel her enthusiasm in that dream of hers. "Can I join your party, please? I can also help with the navigation. I have a rare skill for navigation that helps me to find the way."
"Sounds like a great life plan. Okay then, it's settled. You will be the third member of the Driftwinds. I am the leader of the party. And Ken is the vice-leader of the party."
"Wait, wha-? Vice-leader?! Never heard of me being that."
"Yes, you are," I said, sending Fiora an invite.
[System Notification: Party invitation sent to Fiora Mirelune.]
"Here I go, I accepted your invitation," Fiora replied.
[INVITATION ACCEPTED]
[PARTY FORMED]
"I officially welcome you to the Driftwinds, Fiora," I said to Fiora.
"Welcome to our party," Ken said.
"Thank you very much, leader Blaze, and vice-leader Ken."
"You are blushing, Mr. 'Leader'~" Ken whispered.
"Like you are the one to say. Look at your face with ice magic," I whispered back.
------------
After that, we left for the next island nearby.
"So, you guys are going to the Familiaria to get a familiar for Mr. Leader?"
"Fiora, it's a little embarrassing, so can you please call me with the name my parents gave me?"
"Okay, Mr. Lea--no, um, Blaze. By the way, I also wanted to go there for a familiar."
"You don't have one?" Ken asked Fiora.
"No, I already went to a Familiaria in my homeworld, but couldn't manage to get one. So, I thought about going there once I get some time. So, if you guys are already going there, then it will be great."
"Yes, it will be great, but we don't know the direction of the Familiaria. That's what we were trying to figure out," I replied to Fiora.
"Don't worry at all, you guys have me now. I know the way." Saying that, she grabbed a map out of nowhere. "Let me see, uhh..."
"Where did that map come from?!" I asked her. I was surprised to see that. She said that she has a skill, but never thought that she could make a map out of air.
"Ohh, this? This is just a big piece of paper." She replied. "I got it out from my inventory ring."
"Inventory ring?!" I asked. What's that? Never heard of that.
"This," she showed the ring with a violet colored stone on her right hand's index finger.
"Ohh."
These rings help you carry your things. I always carry a big paper on it. My skill of navigation helps me to see the map of the world that I am in as in a blank paper."
"Wow, let me see," I asked, peeking to see the map.
"Well, you can't see anything without the skill. I am the only one here who can see the map."
"Ohh," I poutily said.
"Well, if we go in that direction," she pointed her finger to the west, "there should be another small island, that's the Familiaria."
"What's the name of that island?" Ken asked.
"It's also a part of Caeloria. Well, it is called Caeloria – The Isles of Shimmering Tides. Some people also call it a sacred archipelago of light, tides, and prophecy. Legend says this place will hold a major event related to 'The Hero of Lost Promises' in the future. Well, that was a prophecy made fifteen hundred years ago. The story still goes, but that's the main line that should be unchanged." Fiora said.
"Right, I added, "there is a massive time gap for the story to be unscathed."
"Okay then, let's go, shall we?" Ken asked.
"Yes!"
"Rin--," he shouted. Hearing Ken, Rin came from the sky, and as he spun a round above us, his body started to give out a faint glow, and he started to grow. As he completed two rounds, his body got big enough to carry the three of us. As he grew, his appearance also changed a little. He looked tougher."Wow, that was fast—he grew in the blink of an eye!"
"Get up, everyone. It'll be hard on Rin if you don't manage to get a familiar." Ken said.
After that, we went for the Familiaria. As Rin went up, the wind started to fill heavily. The island and its people shrank below us as nearby isles came into view.
Fiora said something.
"What?! Did you say something? Couldn't hear for the wind." I shouted.
She shouted again, "The left one! We have to go to the left island."
As she said, Rin went to the left island, and we were there. As we reached the sky above the island, we saw the vast forest, and we could see the village. Rin landed in the village. As he landed, the people were never by in awe, seeing the beautiful dragon. Some adventurers came, "A shadowdrift. It's so rare. Is this your familiar?" They asked Ken.
"Yes, he is mine."
After that, Rin got back to his little size and went into Ken's pocket.
"Wow, so cute," the adventurer girls said, "can I see him?"
"Sorry, he is a little shy of unknown people," He said.
After that, we went ahead and saw a towering watch tower.
"We have to go there," Fiora said, pointing her finger, "from there we can go to the summoning temple."
We went ahead, and when we reached the tower, there was a big line.
"What?! Do we have to wait for that huge line to clear now?!" I pouted, "And here I was so excited."
"Welcome, Miss Fiora Mirelune," a woman in her early twenties came from the tower, "we have been waiting for you."
"Oh, hello, Jun. These are my friends. They'll also come with me," she said.
"Wait, what's happening?!" I asked.
"Do you guys know each other?" Ken asked.
"She's Jun. She is my uncle's secretary."
"Nice to meet you. I am Jun Karnin."
"Nice to meet you too, I am Blaze Lumnell, and this is Ken Beastheart."
"Lumnell and Beastheart! Please, come this way."
"Don't worry, we will be going to another temple."
"Another temple?" I asked.
"There is another temple reserved for royal families or noble families. We can go there. There shouldn't be that many adventurers, so we can finish fast," Fiora said as we went with Jun. "Oh, I didn't mention, my uncle is the one in charge of this Familiar, so we can go there."
After that, we went inside the office to meet with Fiora's uncle.
"Uncle! We are here." Fiora said as she saw him.
"Fiora. How are you? I heard from your dad that you'll be coming. Then I heard a Shadowdrift landed here, and the guards said there was someone who looked just like you. So, I sent Jun to get you."
"Thanks, uncle. They are my friend," she introduced us to her uncle, "this is Blaze and that's Ken."
"I am Ragnar Mirelune. I am in charge of this familiar. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too. I am Blaze Lumnell."
"Lumnell, huh. So you are Ignis's son."
"Yes. Do you know my father?"
"He is a friend of mine. We went to the Velmora Magical Academy together. Is he well?"
"Yes, I mean he was when I left."
"O-kay. And you are from the Beastheart family, right? No wonder you have such a rare lesser dragon," he said. But looking at Ken, he didn't look happy.
"Yes," he said, looking awkwardly.
"Uncle, I think we should go now. Blaze is also looking for a familiar."
"Oh, you are. Then let's head over there. I am curious about which type of lesser responds to your call. Jun!"
"Yes, sir. Come this way, please."
After that, we went ahead to the summoning temple. I can't hold this excitement anymore! But, "Can I really get a dragon? I don't even have any mana..." "..."