“So… How do you think it’ll turn out with Ninéya tomorrow?” asked Daphne, checking the empty cupboards in hopes to find some lost treasures of the previous travellers.186Please respect copyright.PENANAbmDw42Pi3I
“It is bound to be… something,” mumbled Bethil who had flopped on the bed. Daphne was staring outside and was wishing for a balcony. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAAOiWojFOrh
“I am not sure whether I should be worried or threatened or relieved we finally found Ninéya in her glass empire,” Daphne sighed. “She carries this weird aura with her, you know? It’s just… weird.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAoE9S9KGWPP
“Do you feel threatened, then?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAuV69MjN0cv
“Slightly, yes.” 186Please respect copyright.PENANA4oLMTdTjvA
Daphne wandered over to Bethil and she sat down with him on the bed. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAbn7V3QqOCz
“Do not be too nervous,” he said. “Whatever happens, we shall deal with it.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAxWpYqQMXFN
“We don’t have a choice, do we?” Daphne grinned. “It is just stressful to know she knows so much about us. Is she an oracle, or something?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAL57pH2lwWO
“I doubt it,” Bethil replied. “Oracles are not supposed to interact freely, merely give answers. Some force or energy must be there to help her with her seemingly limitless wisdom.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAyWIoa6wQ1I
“Probably,” shrugged Daphne, leaning back.186Please respect copyright.PENANAvuvS1ryG9u
“So a princess, huh?” teased Bethil.186Please respect copyright.PENANA5xtK7ND5Zx
“Don’t get too hyped,” Daphne grinned. 186Please respect copyright.PENANARi70mwGqAk
“Gave up courtly life?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAv5wAVdWANC
“Gave up an entanglement of unnecessary ties to families and communities,” corrected Daphnelle.186Please respect copyright.PENANAsiUkKtZkLG
“So you became a rogue,” replied Bethil ironically.186Please respect copyright.PENANA07FqpcNhAS
“It is a life on the edge, Bethil,” Daphne said. “It’s far more interesting than being taught to be mannered and polite.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAav3yPOmc72
“Obviously you must have always had the strength within you. Since you are our brute.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA5R3CWpm20r
“I guess it’s a lead that brought me here,” nodded Daphne. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAVVm4xUk7pd
“So what about your family?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAnYRamcoeJ7
Daphne just shrugged it off. “All the family I’ve left is Mounty.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA1kZQYnysik
Bethil just looked at her while she looked out the window.186Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9SV9Xx0e8
“So you are quite the shapeshifter, aren’t you?” smirked Daphne when she turned back to Bethil.186Please respect copyright.PENANApvLxnOUDlp
“I suppose so. I have not really tried out anything crazy, though,” Bethil shrugged, remaining humble as he was. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAgAGqnXzVzR
“You certainly want to, right? How epic would it be if you were to become a dragon of some sorts.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA0JwMGl5RLv
“I guess I could try that sometime,” Bethil smiled.186Please respect copyright.PENANAjQoHBKClTO
“Talking about dragons… when do you think Vastice is returning?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAYl0QZDnQvR
Later that night, Vastice entered the dining room nonchalantly. He told Ane that King Eucilde was safely on his way to the Northern Bay with extra guidance of Tully and that Pitér and Hellen were taking perfect care of Taverness in the meanwhile.186Please respect copyright.PENANAT6GX6fVmlY
“So, how did the first encounter with Ninéya go?” asked Vastice as he sat down next to Sarkhan.186Please respect copyright.PENANA7gjy0RgzWR
“It was quite the event,” Peita replied. “She was very intimidating.”186Please respect copyright.PENANApquq7FQmpF
“More than you, sister?”186Please respect copyright.PENANA8ZKVMBC6cd
“I feel like nothing but a slug in comparison to Ninéya,” laughed Peita.186Please respect copyright.PENANAgiBOqbnmtW
“Ninéya was beautiful,” Mint said, “but very vague.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAF83x34qXV8
“I think she is afraid of us,” Ane said.186Please respect copyright.PENANAW3N3pWaP3k
“Of us?” frowned Mounty. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAL6Q0kdi57w
“She sees the potential we have, especially as a team. Individually, we have quite the magic to deliver, so imagine us all working together. I think that she is afraid of us towering above her,” the princess explained.186Please respect copyright.PENANApjajnawV37
“Risky words in a risky place,” Lemennie replied silently. Aris eyed her cautiously.186Please respect copyright.PENANAsgoNCDHS9k
After dinner, the group decided to go for a swim in the lake. Aris took this as an opportunity to talk with her son - in private.186Please respect copyright.PENANAtVQhg8drFU
“Listen, Elliot,” Aris began, “we need to talk.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAM0LI22zifz
“About what?” Elliot asked. The two were standing in the entrance hall, the others leaving through the ports for the lake.186Please respect copyright.PENANADTHF2olGu2
“There is stuff that you need to know -”186Please respect copyright.PENANAI6PHDD2Aex
“Elliot, are you coming?” asked Bethil, briefly returning to the entrance hall.186Please respect copyright.PENANAfGzjQ7IhyN
“Give me a moment,” replied Elliot before he turned back to his mother. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAbuJOhxuIoy
“Actually, I think we should talk another time. It is fine; it can wait. Go and have fun with your friends, I shall be upstairs.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAGpNYRBMfR5
Elliot gave his mother a friendly kiss on the cheek and then headed out. Aris wandered back to her bedroom, which luckily was empty. The evening had gone very roughly for her after Lemennie’s accusation. She knew she should have told her son sooner, but how could she inform her son that his father was a devil? One of the most important ones at that? She wasn’t ready, and neither was Elliot. Or was he?186Please respect copyright.PENANAzzvfgoF6ze
In their underwear, the group had met the waters of the lake in a somewhat different way than Remna had made them meet the water. They played around freely, as if the water rinsed them from any possible shame or worries. They felt like little kids, barely nine years old, having the greatest fun in a lake. It felt like a huge break from the world-saving quest that they were on and felt like just a little getaway with some friends. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAnniskfMLBu
Ane, for the first time in quite some while, remembered what it was like to be a kid. The biggest concern she had, was whether she would be the next one to deliver an effective splash. She loved the opportunity to forget her status, her role, her quest, the reason why they were here. And she loved every minute of the carefree manner that she enjoyed it with. She had missed it.186Please respect copyright.PENANAjcCKJbgPIe
Peita and Sarkhan sat on the strip of land by lake as they watched the others still enjoy their skin in the wetness.186Please respect copyright.PENANAuYQv73hHxE
“Do you miss Taverness?” Sarkhan asked.186Please respect copyright.PENANA3axmYL0Laj
“Of course I miss it. It is my home,” Peita responded, “but I needed a break. Now I realise that more than ever. When I feel like such a child now, I realised how quick I had to grow up. I feel like I grew up in my brother’s place as well, just so he could enjoy the childhood that he wouldn’t want to give up.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAgggRmhZJEF
“You gave up yours,” Sarkhan replied.186Please respect copyright.PENANASIVnncjhi8
“I had no choice.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAwzuFUpUXsx
“I’m not sure if I’d given up my youth for Aethul’s.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAhHwYipAZDY
“Your brother, right?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAUMnTTrW4tG
“Correct. I love Aethul, he is my brother, but I would not sacrifice my childhood for him. It’s just so… precious. I know that Aethul wouldn’t have appreciated that anyhow.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAYtJhe4xcdo
“Why not?” frowned Peita.186Please respect copyright.PENANAScnudDFV5e
“Aethul is… different. He is hazy in his mind and vague in his actions and he is far too smart for his own good,” sighed Sarkhan. “I don’t get the boy. It’s almost as if he is constantly living in a separate realm. He fights like a master and his magic is beyond my level by a mile, but he doesn’t value that like we would. To him, it’s normal. I wonder what the kid knows that we don’t…”186Please respect copyright.PENANArMLkjokOFj
Peita carefully listened as more and more symptoms seemed to add up.186Please respect copyright.PENANAqhL0FY7bSM
“He has a hard time connecting with us. I find it odd.”186Please respect copyright.PENANApEH6915R9z
“Sarkhan… we might be with the wrong person here,” Peita answered, semi-alarmed.186Please respect copyright.PENANAqNhpCXrouO
“What do you mean?”186Please respect copyright.PENANA8TGakPGi6P
“The person that could’ve given us all the answers was your brother.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAMH5c3vnxTn
“We are here now, we can’t just go back.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAi6kt46LpVJ
“I understand that, but we have to get in contact with your brother somehow.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAxruchzOg2R
“He is a Druid, no way I could reach him telepathically.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA0Uk8MGXnHH
“Daphne’s a Druid!” exclaimed Peita.186Please respect copyright.PENANASaELiFQ1av
“Why do you need to contact him?” frowned the prince.186Please respect copyright.PENANAbBJbh8SNq7
“Sarkhan, it sounds to me like your brother is an oracle.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAlFRQ4C3kzB
Later that night, Sarkhan and Peita could have some alone time with Daphne. The others had just gone to bed, so the two could share the information with Daphne confidentially. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAbvAVaFvCus
“Can you try to contact him?” asked Peita after the information she’d gathered from Sarkhan’s description.186Please respect copyright.PENANAH80q74YIl7
“I… I suppose I could.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAbBNGoHS1KU
“Let us go inside to our room, where we can do it without anybody spying on us,” Peita suggested. The three went up to their room where Daphne laid on the bed to be able to completely concentrate on her following actions. Contacting a Druid telepathically could be a draining task, but she should surely give it a shot.186Please respect copyright.PENANARFmFyiNA9L
After a while, she was in complete trance of her own being. The universe that spread out in front of her was broad and filled with stars and constellations, and between the starry canvas, Daphne found the symbol that perfectly matched with Aethul’s. She reached out for it, unlocking it as it spread a broad light across the entire universe. There was a ton of friction, but Daphne pushed through to eventually make Aethul appear in the whiteness. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAB4NutNZ12r
“Daffarimelle?” he asked. “What a pleasant surprise.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAecm97RJG0o
“Nice to see you again, Aethul,” spoke Daphne. 186Please respect copyright.PENANABrY4mKcHTU
“Is there anything I can help you with?”186Please respect copyright.PENANABofSOgfPXd
The lightness that Aethul spoke with clearly showed that it was specifically Aethul she was speaking with. He carried his words with an almost empty breeze, hazy and cloudy.186Please respect copyright.PENANATy8p5sA491
“I need two answers, Aethul,” requested Daphne.186Please respect copyright.PENANAqa1geXECRj
“Two answers you are granted.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAL455AHDLem
“Should we trust Ninéya?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAYbVnE27RAJ
“No.”186Please respect copyright.PENANANiRv17eBWP
“Who is she truly?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAkeI1JM9QQW
Aethul remained quiet, but the emotion that filled up his usually empty glare scared Daphne slightly.186Please respect copyright.PENANABCjEOqlZbw
“Aethul, who is she?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAvTkKnHfwN7
“She is no creation of her parents, Daphnelle,” Aethul responded. “She is a creation of evil. Crafted unnaturally. She was born as a result of a ritual where they merged three evil souls and she was the fruit of this inhuman procedure. She was covered in a layer of oil, a hideous being. Even hell didn’t want her. Be careful, Daphnelle, but never forget that an evil being like her can only be purified by another evil being.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAHv2Fx6YVEx
The universe gained back its stars and endless, dark abyss. Daphne opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling. She was sweating, heavily, and she then turned to Sarkhan and Peita.186Please respect copyright.PENANAH6Fywe8GPR
“Tomorrow will be a long day…” she whispered.
After Daphne explained everything with her other comrades in Ane and Elliot’s room, they also remained quiet for a second. Anevay and Elliot first had to completely comprehend that they found an oracle just wandering the woods, and then they had to consider each word carefully.186Please respect copyright.PENANAnsWUuAgrqQ
“So you are saying that an oracle specifically told us not to trust her?” Bethil frowned.186Please respect copyright.PENANA4aVZigLcUk
“Are oracles not supposed to remain utterly vague?” Elliot thought aloud.186Please respect copyright.PENANAPt7skekju9
“That’s what I thought. He was fairly vague, but it’s quite clear that Ninéya isn’t someone to mess with,” Daphne said.186Please respect copyright.PENANA2xHHdZYXHa
“I think that was established beforehand,” sighed Ane while she stared outside, wondering how to handle this. They needed answers, first of all, but it all seemed so far right now. “We should just talk with her and then we will see.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAefDYYcId9e
“Sounds like a reasonable deal,” Elliot replied.186Please respect copyright.PENANA8WHYGs90e4
“There is also another thing that I need to share,” Daphne said.186Please respect copyright.PENANA9eoaw6dOtO
“Yes?” Ane frowned, now facing her.186Please respect copyright.PENANApBKXdx1MSj
“Aethul mentioned that Ninéya can only be taken out by someone who shares the same evil as her.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAs6HLAAjaKA
“Ninéya is a creation of three pieces of evil… none of us are even near that level of evilness,” muttered Ane. 186Please respect copyright.PENANA2DPyCiXZe9
“We shouldn’t make plans to take her out now,” Bethil replied, a tad uneasy. “It feels wrong. We need information first and we have to give her just a piece of trust to get that.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAEuxGlCGEwV
“You are clearly the heart,” Elliot responded.186Please respect copyright.PENANAGj7riBlpje
“I am just being reasonable. She hasn’t harmed us yet, so why would we make plans to do that to her?”186Please respect copyright.PENANANF3gfcolG7
“It is clear she is evil,” shrugged Elliot.186Please respect copyright.PENANAnKaMuosifd
“So what? We need her,” countered Bethil.186Please respect copyright.PENANAFWvu3Hdkxo
“She is a bad opponent,” muttered Elliot, “I am not keen on needing her.”186Please respect copyright.PENANArBnWAtmWdg
“An evil enemy doesn’t necessarily make you good,” Bethil spoke. He didn’t mean it personally or with any intent of offending Elliot, but the guy raised his eyebrow as he walked right past his comrade.186Please respect copyright.PENANAg6i29N77O2
“Jesus, what is his problem?” muttered Daphne.186Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2VJkDJxnd
“No idea,” Ane sighed. “Let’s go.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAnRRuaQNwkC
They followed Elliot downstairs as they wandered off to the entrance hall, where Remna had already been waiting. 186Please respect copyright.PENANA8umuovTw7c
“Hi, friends,” she smiled kindly. “I’m here to collect you and bring you to the office of Ninéya.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAHyMCMd1IpT
“Where is her office?” Ane asked. “Will we be far from this place?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAUgWMtbe4iB
“It’s the top floor, highest room,” Remna said, “but we’ll be using an elevator.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAh3cjtD163m
“A what?” frowned Bethil.186Please respect copyright.PENANATZaIMl5oRw
Remna gestured them to follow her through the recreation halls, where she eventually entered one particular hall with a little, odd cage-like booth in the end. It was made out of a clear glass and looked like ice. 186Please respect copyright.PENANA2Hx9xkM478
“Go in,” Remna said. The four friends carefully entered the ice cage. Anevay looked above her and saw a shaft, completely hollow, and before she knew it they were zooming through the shaft with a little touch of magic as Remna manipulated the ice in the cage.186Please respect copyright.PENANAa5Aoh7JxTA
“So this is ice?” asked Elliot.186Please respect copyright.PENANAkC6bSzfp4E
“As pure as it can be!” exclaimed Remna affirmatively. They had reached a little landing, with only one door. “I will be waiting right here.” 186Please respect copyright.PENANAGko3UuTTKl
When Ane passed the little window in the wall, she saw the gorgeous waters underneath her, almost as if they were greeting her. She couldn’t guess the altitude of her current location, but she didn’t need to. She knocked on the door a formal twice and it was opened with just a touch of magic. The office was a pretty large room, with a grand, round table in the middle. Symbols had been vividly painted on the table and covered with a layer of glass to protect the work of art. Bookshelves hid the walls and only left spaces for windows that seemingly had no actual glass and let in the breeze of the fresh air.186Please respect copyright.PENANALif1SZAzq6
“Good day,” said Ninéya, who was sat in one of the seven chairs around the table. “Come in.” She stood up just as a sign of formality, and waited until Daphne closed the door behind her. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAIKdlU3nzeR
“Sit down,” Ninéya said, not specifically harshly. The four strategically took places opposite of Ninéya, leaving a chair of distance on either side of the magical, evil being.186Please respect copyright.PENANAiCwocg2mF8
“So tell me a bit about yourself, as warriors,” she kindly smiled, ignoring the detached behaviour.186Please respect copyright.PENANAHhXtS3rRyh
“I’m pretty sure you can do that for us,” blurted Daphne out. She felt a pang of regret for her attitude, but she hid it behind an iron glare.186Please respect copyright.PENANAicGZDR4YB0
“Let’s start with you,” Ninéya grinned.186Please respect copyright.PENANAeW5Kcs8zGg
Professional, thought Daphnelle quietly while she gathered some information to share with this person. “My name is Daphnelle, I am a Druidic princess and I have amethysts in my blood. I once joined a rogue gang, but I left that gang. The leader died; I saw her die. My first weapon to hold was a falchion, and I have been using one since.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAhzO4WUaCXz
“I’m sure that your name is Daffarimelle. Correct me if I am mistaken.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA1kpysb71xC
“Entirely correct,” Daphne said, not breaking the slightly intimidating eye contact with her.186Please respect copyright.PENANA4iZrGxB3Hn
“Seeing a loyal comrade die… must’ve been hard on you.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAApUEEtZMgI
“You learn to live with hardness,” Daphne replied.186Please respect copyright.PENANAJdEYjHvbfd
“Very well.” Ninéya shifted her glare to Bethil. “Go on, darling.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA7EEY5ZrsIe
“My name’s Bethil. Son of Southern people, raised in the Northern Bay. Eh, shapeshifter. Tiger is my favourite form, though I haven’t really assumed that shape in quite a while now… Quartz magic in my blood…” He awkwardly halted, because he wasn’t sure what else to tell this woman. What else could he say? He didn’t have an epic story.186Please respect copyright.PENANABglp0hhK3N
“Be sure to once become a tiger again,” Ninéya said. She then turned to Anevay, who was equally unsure of what to say.186Please respect copyright.PENANAc3ye9kbt6s
“My name is Anevay,” she began. “I am a princess and a necromancer. I have learned to fight in royal court. I left courtly life to live with Elliot, where I lived the life of a normal girl - just like I wanted to, really. However, when I heard about the quest, I felt responsible. I had to do something, you know? Redeem my honour which I’d sort of thrown away. So… here I am.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAownGmBJhoY
“Living a life you want to live, even if that means neglecting a royal title, doesn’t mean you have thrown away your honour,” Ninéya said. “You have lived honorably. You never showed signs of cowardice.” 186Please respect copyright.PENANARUqFRQf3lZ
“I was a coward when I left the throne.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAw1NTrhkDjv
“Don’t you think that the people who mindlessly follow what they’d been told to do are the ones who are cowards? You do what you want to do, what makes you happy. That, my dear, doesn’t make you a coward. Cowardice is when you know you can do be braver, better and brighter, but they choose not to because they are afraid. You, my dear, did not commit such a cowardly act. You simply chose not to view the royal life as braver, better and brighter. You followed your own will.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA4N45Lz8ZMb
They were all struggling with the realisation that this woman was made out of pure darkness. Her words seemed so sincere. And they were, but they’d just never know.186Please respect copyright.PENANAF0GZ1bHcNU
She then turned to Elliot.186Please respect copyright.PENANAxVjfj1kgYc
“My name is Elliot,” he started off. “I… am not sure what I am. I have never really found the magic seed within me.” He shrugged. “I am great with my weaponry. That is about it.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAHjIK0AFGGG
“You aren’t sure what you are?” questioned Ninéya with a slight frown.186Please respect copyright.PENANAu1bh3gdksn
“I just have not figured out my own mystical nature,” Elliot replied. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAuJfKK67gTW
“You are about to find out soon, darling. You, after all, did come here for answers, didn’t you?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAiV1avzJ7EA
They nodded.186Please respect copyright.PENANAFynCb0SJJA
“Ask me your questions. Just one of them, today.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA5GGRFuXIjt
“Where do we find the core of evil?” Anevay asked after she had full consent of the others to ask it.186Please respect copyright.PENANAaOn9kDXHme
“It’s always closer than you think. It’s always a step away from you, darlings. Open your eyes - you’ll see more than even your pretty minds can comprehend.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA88SHdG0KUX
None of them responded and processed this cryptic information. Ninéya definitely resembled an oracle in some way, Daphne thought, and she hated to admit that respect for this evil being grew. Sure, she had an evil nature, but was she truly as ruthless as Hayres? She didn’t dare to ask such questions before she’d be smacked with facts.186Please respect copyright.PENANA2xpfFN9d2C
“I also have a question for you,” Ninéya said as she leaned in. “I have always wondered what aura my colour is.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAaVIwsqgu3l
“Red. The strongest, most vivid red that I have ever seen,” Anevay replied. “It means that you are strong in your emotions, both furious and passionate.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAsEn9BR5gBi
“That’s great!” beamed the hybrid as she leaned back. “You are dismissed. I’ll let Remna pass on an hour for another little get-together. You are free to explore the entire castle and my beautiful lands, but set a foot in a forbidden zone and it’ll be chopped off!”186Please respect copyright.PENANAyZ7NubZWIO
The casual cheery attitude kind of alarmed the others, but they just smiled and left the room to see Remna stare out the window, bored. She turned around with an anticipating smile on her face when she heard the door open.186Please respect copyright.PENANA1GYnLoi46P
“How did it go?” she asked.186Please respect copyright.PENANA5hj9tNbQyY
“Pretty well,” said Anevay with a little smile.186Please respect copyright.PENANA4F7NUjXcmu
“Amazing. I’ll take you all to a very special place in the woods then. It’s great there!” exclaimed the mermaids. The four comrades shared an amused look, and then followed Remna outside.
Not everybody had followed. Jarco, Lewir, Aris, Peita, Lemennie and Vastice had decided to remain in the castle and entertain themselves here instead of joining the others in their trip to the fairy woods.186Please respect copyright.PENANAvfmmTtpwov
“Where are we going, Remna?” Mounty asked halfway.186Please respect copyright.PENANAeto0K9HCpb
“To a little town,” Remna responded broadly. “They have a great pub there along with a lovely theatre. I wanted to take you all to the theatre.”186Please respect copyright.PENANACDFVoc8P4N
“I love theatre,” beamed Mint. “What play are we watching?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAjD6A1uKleI
“A Trillion Wests,” Remna replied.186Please respect copyright.PENANAv0v4NSENOb
Mint gasped slightly. “No way!”186Please respect copyright.PENANAHSfFvzJ7eM
The two girls began chattering loudly about the play while the others remained behind.186Please respect copyright.PENANAzKCXbIcm8T
“I forgot that she was such a theatre fanatic,” Daphne said to Mounty.186Please respect copyright.PENANAv7rsenCVqB
“You were too,” Mounty replied. “No longer one of your interests?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAFrGd1YmSyD
“Romance sort of died out in my life a while back,” shrugged the Druid.186Please respect copyright.PENANAWKC5UYnZhQ
“What about that kid?” Mounty asked when she subtly tilted her head towards Bethil, who was lost in a conversation with Elliot.186Please respect copyright.PENANAWUo66ryJeR
“I’m in love with him, but I don’t need that romantic business that tags along with it,” Daphne said.186Please respect copyright.PENANAWS5K1nn4jx
“He seems like a romantic type, though,” Mounty spoke blankly.186Please respect copyright.PENANArojhpRPHdG
Daphne shrugged. She’d opened a soft patch for Bethil, but she had neglected it otherwise. It wasn’t like Bethil threw her off her feet or anything, he just made her feel nice and appreciated. There was passion for sure. They had fun together in all sorts of ways and they meshed well, but whether Daphne wanted to spend the rest of her life with him? She thought about it. To be quite frank, she didn’t really mind the idea. She just didn’t want to settle, but she definitely had no issues with Bethil being in every image in Daphne’s mind. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAPFj3WbeuYt
She looked at Mounty who grinned her way.186Please respect copyright.PENANALocICqsxAC
“What?” mumbled Daphne.186Please respect copyright.PENANAPBTAglDELf
“What were you thinking about?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAwrggCyfR2Y
Daphne shook her head and rolled her eyes and they continued walking.186Please respect copyright.PENANA8ByVLdyGTd
“Are you in love with her?” Elliot asked.186Please respect copyright.PENANAPph3vvhS91
“Nah,” he shrugged. “It doesn’t really feel like there’s a future for us.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAE8Qieo69zE
“Does that matter? You are already starting to adapt her accent,” Elliot replied.186Please respect copyright.PENANAowQjosVDg1
“I would rather not waste my time on things that may go south,” Bethil said, shifting his accent back to his original one.186Please respect copyright.PENANAi3cYsbGUwJ
“I think that you would be wasting your time by not going for it,” answered Elliot. “Daphnelle does not seem like the person who would get all sweet and cute with you, but I think that if she loves you, she will definitely let you know.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAbtRQqZRIdU
“She has not really let me know,” sighed Bethil. “Do you think she does not like me like I like her?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAiiUalQqdt2
“You cannot know if you never tell her,” said Elliot. “Besides, I thought you two went over this awkward patch a long time ago.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAXTqyac8nsq
“Not quite,” mumbled Bethil. “How about you and Anevay?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAiaLqxrkl0A
Elliot looked behind him, where Ane and Sarkhan were talking just a distance away.186Please respect copyright.PENANA8FFt3XhaYB
“I love her,” he nodded. “How could I not? She is wonderful.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAe3lCzKHZno
“You can see that,” Bethil said. “Both ways.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAfRcmkKKKPj
A little smile creeped up Elliot’s face as he tried to ignore it. He didn’t look Bethil in the eye because he knew very well that the big grin on his face would only make Elliot blush more. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAYBChNwjhOa
“Here we are!” shouted Remna suddenly. In front of them were a couple buildings, all of them beautifully crafted. It seemed like a regular forest - no longer the mystical woods from earlier. The buildings were all made of wood with dark green polishing. There was one clear pub, “The Fairy’s Tail”, and Remna entered the pub as if it were her own. 186Please respect copyright.PENANA5G7wuvsPco
The folk that was present surprised the group who followed Remna. It felt… homely. They had assumed that all fairies, elves, mermaids and hybrids would be the beautiful, elegant beings with athletic bodies and beautiful body parts, but here sat a folk that would perfectly fit in the Southern Bay. Old men with the stench of a peculiar beer lingering around them, women who hadn’t aged very well with too much make-up for their old age and thin men whose teeth had chewed the worst or so it seemed. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAImSQHYKc6r
“I feel home,” exclaimed Daphne, ignoring all the attention these foreigners got.186Please respect copyright.PENANAJ0zSvxKp6d
“I knew you would,” said Remna. “Hence I brought you here.” She began walking towards one of the booths nearby a window with a view on the tiny town while she shouted “a round of chopped beers!” to the bartender, a young man that resembled Bentham in some way - but uglier, and more worn out.186Please respect copyright.PENANAiCGGnSRy4S
“Chopped beers?” frowned Mounty. “Now that is a drink I have not drunk yet.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAjscjfm0mMH
“Beer mixed with chopped nuts,” Remna explained. “It’s delicious.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAYYjaWlk6VB
“You come here often?” Ane asked, sliding next to Elliot.186Please respect copyright.PENANAOTt6NzztOh
“This is where I learnt not to be a stuck-up minion,” Remna grinned. “Clyon didn’t like me going here, but she couldn’t stop me.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAvEbWT8b2Pe
“Heard of Clyon yet?” Sarkhan asked curiously.186Please respect copyright.PENANAyTAYdjfZpA
“Not shown her face since I told her to get out of it,” shrugged the pink-haired mermaid. “I bet she is just sucking up to Ninéya anyhow.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAYx3u5jmRbm
“Are you and Ninéya on good terms?” Ane asked, mainly out of strategic reasons rather than whatever cause she could have.186Please respect copyright.PENANAbfZoesmRd3
“No,” Remna said. Short and blunt, as it should be.186Please respect copyright.PENANATgwGw54Tc2
“Is that a wise thing to say in this pub?” asked Sarkhan, remembering his times in Sharran’s Valley when people would have their ears ripped off for saying one bad thing about Hayres.186Please respect copyright.PENANATRWawg4UMp
“The reason why I love this town is because they can see the corrupt mind-set that lurks within Ninéya,” Remna replied. “If there is one thing here that connects us all, it’s that we all disagree with Ninéya’s views.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA94JsBu2Jhs
“What if she finds out?” frowned Mounty.186Please respect copyright.PENANAJ69lwJcY6L
“She knows I come here often, but she also knows that I’ve done that since my childhood. I’ve been nothing but loyal to her in terms of actions. Killing me would be negative for her as well,” Remna responded, suddenly a strange serious.186Please respect copyright.PENANABdGMsICxhk
“Has nobody betrayed you yet?” asked Daphne, genuinely surprised.186Please respect copyright.PENANAwHAMjvrbRt
“They know that if they do, they’d meet the bitter consequences of doing so,” Remna shrugged. “I know that I am jolly and all, but I will kill you if necessary.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA2UNidWK8LD
“A round of chopped beers!” said the bartender as he shoved a couple glasses with a bright, brown beer across the table top.186Please respect copyright.PENANA7UTj7H6k25
“Cheers!” shouted Remna, who raised her mug. The others celebrated the chopped beers as well before they took a huge sip.186Please respect copyright.PENANAtcnW5AnzY0
“Oh my, this is amazing,” said Mint.186Please respect copyright.PENANAlWnMSFRe2g
“And amazingly strong,” replied Sarkhan.186Please respect copyright.PENANASp0ACvKEj8
“You never knew how to drink,” grinned Daphne. The two started teasing each other, and a first pang of jealousy ran shot through Bethil’s chest. He ignored it.186Please respect copyright.PENANAICrf2CCgA8
“As I was saying… these people here all have each other’s backs,” Remna continued. “Mine as well.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAwittDEe53Z
“Why does Ninéya not just kill them?” Ane asked out of mere curiosity.186Please respect copyright.PENANA2hNjFG24IE
“What a bad leader would she be to do such a thing,” Bethil responded.186Please respect copyright.PENANAGgjaKQH53n
“She may be wicked in her ways but she still cares for her people,” Remna laughed.186Please respect copyright.PENANALzYqvsQAKI
“Being able to take criticism is a huge part of being a leader,” Sarkhan agreed. “They have to trust you above all.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAaNeSQW7EXO
“How can they trust somebody like her?” scowled Ane.186Please respect copyright.PENANA8H6iY2GKSK
“Oh, they don’t,” chuckled Remna. “They just know she’s smart and they won’t get in her way.”
“Cheers to the leader…” muttered Ane sarcastically before taking another huge sip.186Please respect copyright.PENANAkjlFcr7diU
Jarco and Aris had both found their little spot in the library. Jarco was learning a whole lot about mermaids and fairies and hybrids and nymphs and sirens and all the other creatures that they only had in the Eastern Bay. Aris found a ton of interest in the history of Lily’s York and deepened herself in the wonderful past.186Please respect copyright.PENANAWuowolq0f5
Lemennie was having a good talk with Vastice about the current events in the common room. They both discussed everything, from Remna and Clyon to the core and its demons. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAI27p8BtA9s
“Do you think you might meet your father?” Vastice asked.186Please respect copyright.PENANALKgCZxepMs
“I am afraid I will,” Lemennie replied. “I am not too keen on it either.” She leaned back in the sofa where she and Vastice had sat down after their coffees being server.186Please respect copyright.PENANAr2EPitMfDH
“What’s the worst that could happen?” grinned Vastice.186Please respect copyright.PENANApRHtTlHtFo
“My father is the most evil being in this realm. Do you even need to ask such a thing?” hissed Lemennie, more snarly than she’d hoped for. She didn’t mean to lash out, but the topic was sensitive and she failed to see the humour in it - for once.186Please respect copyright.PENANAFbYXsHelir
“Sorry,” apologised Vastice. “Shouldn’t have joked with it.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAHpB6PQE05i
“No, I am sorry,” sighed Lemennie. “Just… whenever I’m so close to the core it reminds me of my past. I don’t mean to be cliché or all sappy, but it’s pretty intimidating when you’re so close to home after ages. Especially when you were basically abandoned from that place as well.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAoiM1vlaIQe
“Do you think you know what he wants?” Vastice asked carefully.186Please respect copyright.PENANAAq5NTebpiE
“I know exactly what he wants. Let me tell you something, Vastice.”186Please respect copyright.PENANA8fE1YfjYz2
“Sure.”186Please respect copyright.PENANApvs9sMAipU
“Aris isn’t as innocent as she seems.”186Please respect copyright.PENANABgyxx7lGUf
“She seems pretty innocent to me,” shrugged Vastice.186Please respect copyright.PENANASJ7XQwqHCq
“She indirectly caused Daffarimelle’s parents’ death.”186Please respect copyright.PENANARhpR5Hu27o
“Excuse me?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAhcSnX3uWtv
Lemennie sat up straight and took a huge sip from her coffee before she faced Vastice. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAEKTKoH6D5U
“The four former heroes made a pact with the devils during their first outbreak,” she began. Vastice took an equally large sip from his own coffee, knowing that whatever would be said right now, would be crucial, and Lemennie continued speaking. “They made a pact with the devils so that they wouldn’t harm their families. The devils would only agree to this if the four heroes would cause chaos. The four heroes, along with an army of devils, attacked the Western Bay. Mankind fled while the horned fought for their kingdom. Later, Mankind blamed the horned for making a pact with these devils to wipe away traces of their own cowardness. This caused the Grand Battles, and we all know what went down there… Luckily, they reconciled now. However, the second outbreak that these heroes are here for? A direct consequence of the first outbreak. Aris… she had a son with a devil. He wants his son back.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAcd14uLCjhU
“Sorry, what?” Vastice mumbled, his mouth filled with coffee and a numb tongue.186Please respect copyright.PENANA3Hp3zTv52m
“Aris indirectly caused the death of thousands of horned with the Grand Battles and the second outbreak,” clarified Lemennie. “Don’t get me wrong; it’s not like she intended to. Yet it still happened. I confronted her the other day. Aris is willing to make amends, but it’s a lot messier than we think.”186Please respect copyright.PENANAIwLoe1PfTM
“It’s already messy enough!” exclaimed Vastice with a scowl.186Please respect copyright.PENANAeywSyPmYJR
“This is the root of this entire quest, Vastice. The root of everything. The devil wants his son back. That is why we’re all here.”186Please respect copyright.PENANApjx3unz3tt
“Do you know which devil it is?”186Please respect copyright.PENANAwe8f90uYKw
“My father,” murmured Lemennie, breaking eye contact.186Please respect copyright.PENANAR6FhHCrl6D
“We can’t just give your half-brother away, Lem…” whispered Vastice. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAqSw2reiK6x
“Don’t you think I know that?” groaned Lemennie. “He hasn’t even unleashed his own powers.” 186Please respect copyright.PENANAS1zJTdZwcS
Meanwhile, in another room, in another wing of the castle, Lewir sat on his bed with a flask in his hand. It could help him, and he was aware of that. It could help him take out Ninéya. Though he wasn’t strong enough. Was he? No, of course he wasn’t. Thinking so was foolish. Yet he had to try. He couldn’t just let Ninéya get away with all the misery she brought to so many people. He held up the flask in the sunlight that poked through the windows. It was shimmery and shined a radiant blue. 186Please respect copyright.PENANAe5I1W7VDL5
And without a second thought, he poured the burning liquid down his throat.186Please respect copyright.PENANAvH0Dpeoeik