Corruption
Chapter Four: Step into Victoria, Newcomer
Author's Note: Yikes, it's been a long time since I read over this. The update for Corruption has officially started! This is a renewed chapter for Corruption.
Disclaimer: I do not own Nexon or its contents.
-Sky: Ereve Boat-
Bridget woke up to the sun shining brightly on her face. She squinted directly at the sun while using her hand to cover her face. Hazel eyes moved out of the sun's sight as the Wind Archer slowly stood up and stretched. The warm wind grazed her sides. Cautiously, Bridget walked over to the front of the air ship, climbing up a flight of wooden stairs. The tip of the ship was pointing to a green diamond-shaped blob the size of Bridget's hand. It floating landmass was getting closer as the ship propelled onward. Bridget suddenly realized this will be the first time she stepped foot onto a foreign island, not knowing who everybody is. The truth was the Archer never even went outside of Ereve before! Shivering, not from the cold-hearted wind, Bridget skipped the stair of steps by two to reach the lower leveled deck. As she placed her boots on, the Wind Archer's stomach emitted a fierce growl.
-Ellinia: Station-
Five minutes later after gobbling down fresh apples, Bridget heard a sound of horns coming from below. Instinctively, Bridget grabbed her blue bow. She stared down at a crowd of Cygnus Knights impatiently waiting for her to get off the wooden air ship. The Wind Archer opened the door on the middle of the ship to find a steel set of stairs waiting in front of her. Bridget climbed down it and began to let the mob go through but finally realized what happened to Ereve. She stopped at the foot of the stairs, blocking them from getting to the ship.
"Please get off the stairs, I need my job advancement," a Blaze Wizard in the front of the crowd pouted.
"Aw geez it's a noob," a white armored Dawn Warrior muttered while another Dawn Warrior with pink armor nodded and crossed her arms.
"HEY YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUM OUTTA HERE 'FORE I KICK IT OUT!", a drunken Wind Archer hiccupped. Soon shouts of basically everything came from every person in the mob.
Bridget bit her bottom lip, unsure of what do to. She didn't to make them mad, but at the same time she also didn't want them to see the ruins of what used to be Ereve. The beginner Wind Archer scanned the angry crowd. She noticed a person in a black cape and hood, pointing an arrow at the ship. Bridget stepped forward, getting a more precise look. Her foot caught on the edge of the stair as she tripped down the stairs and onto the hard wooden deck. Simultaneously, the person in the black armor fired the sharp arrow. A bomb was strapped onto the arrow. The bomb arrow collided with the ship as everyone at the station watched in horror. Bridget looked up in time to witness the Ereve boat exploding in a brilliant hue of red. Cygnus Knights and many more classes ran from the scene, some attempting to put the blazing fire out.
I have to help them put out the fire Bridget thought, scrambling onto her feet to find any source of water. She saw the black cloaked person again, silently slipping in and out of the crazed frenzy.
…Or I can make the person who started this put out the fire she grinned, thinking of her idea as the best solution. The young girl pushed through the unrelenting crowd, apologizing to the occasional person who scolded at her. It was difficult pinpointing the cloaked person since he seemed to blend in so well. She finally located the person ducking into a blue portal. The girl followed suit. Bridget rushed into the portal, feeling a tingly sensation course through her body. She popped out of the portal, suddenly feeling numb and queasy. Bridget fought back the tiredness as she kept pursuing the person.
"Stop you…you mean person!" Bridget shouted at the person, "You have to put out the fire you started right now!"
The mysterious person abruptly spun around, eyes widening. The Wind Archer smirked to herself. It was immediately wiped off though as she realized the person was a boy, a really young boy. He wore a pair of thick framed glasses. She noted that the golden bow looked as it could topple the boy over. Bridget stared at the boy in a trance, unable to turn away from his big emerald eyes. Unfortunately, the trip through the portal cost her body a lot of energy. Bridget was helpless as her body turned into a rock and fell forward to the ground. Before the Wind Archer's hazel eyes closed completely closed, she felt feeble arms attempting to soften her fall.
-Heneseys: Athena's headquarters-
Lightning struck a part of Ereve as I opened my eyes. Big mistake. I found myself on the ground of Ereve, but everything was practically deprived of its past holiness. Statues lay in rubble, the grass was burnt, and the ground was splattered with dry blood. Piles of corpses lay to rot while a magician clad in black stands in the middle of it all. I realize I recognize him before in my distant memory. The man pivots himself to me, a sinister smile plastered on his gray face.
'The Black Magician,' I instantly say out loud. The Black Magician cackles, eyes flashing in malice.
'Not The Black Magician, silly child. But rather…' The Black Magician's harsh whisper repeats over and over again. Something inside me is screaming at me, telling me not to listen. Everything gets warped and twisted, the image of a hopeless town burning in my mind.
Bridget bolts up from the bed, breathing hard and quickly. She halted for a moment, looking at the bed she was on. It was layered with many white sheets. Also the bed was wedged in a corner of the room. The Wind Archer whacked her brain, trying to recall the elusive dream. With no success, Bridget decided to absorb the room décor. It was a small room adorned with wooden floors and walls. A window was accurately placed on Bridget's right side, letting the person see the town. There were no pieces of furniture besides the bed.
A knock came from the door. Bridget craned her neck as the boy she saw earlier stepping through the door. The boy yelped as he noticed Bridget staring at him. In a further investigation, the boy looked to be about 14 with shaggy blond hair and the same puppy eyes.
"Y-you're the boy I saw earlier-", Bridget stopped midway. She frowned, causing the boy to gulp.
"Wait a second, did you put out the fire yet?" she asked the boy seriously. He shuffled in his green armor. The boy was holding a box of clothes that looked exactly like Bridget's…
The Wind Archer instinctively smacked a hand on her hair. She felt around her black strands of hair, realizing her sunflower was missing. Bridget pushed off the blankets. Instead of wearing her yellow shirt and blue skirt, she had on a purple dotted dress. The boy flushed, stumbling over his words. The box clanged on the wooden floor. He awkwardly excused himself before running out of the room, slamming the door shut. Bridget gazed at the door, questioning the events that happened right before her eyes. The box was tilted over, revealing all the items Bridget had with her.
After figuring out how to take off the dress, Bridget changed back into her regular clothes. She happily slid the sunflower back into her hair. Another knock came on the door. The girl expected the boy to come back. Rather, a tall woman in brown and green armor came through the door.
"Greetings young child, I am Athena Pierce, Archer Instructor of Heneseys. I truly apologize for the behavior of my student-"
"Did he put out the fire yet?", Bridget asked again politely, hoping the tall lady would answer her question.
Athena pursed her lips, "That's a very delicate question. And I'm afraid to say that Lyden didn't"
The news sunk in to Bridget, "W-wait, that means nobody c-can get to Ereve-"
She cut herself off, remembering the second time that Ereve was in a chaotic state.
"Exactly young child, if any more people were to find Ereve in ruins that would cause a panic in Victoria," Athena rubbed her temples, imagining the people of Heneseys running in circles.
"This is Victoria?" Bridget asked. She heard many stories about it from Hawkeye, mostly about Kerning City. Athena nodded.
"Sorry for asking so many questions, but how did you know about Ereve so quickly," the Wind Archer calculated. If you sent a letter to Victoria from Ereve, it would take approximately 2-3 days depending on the weather. And then another 2-3 days to send the letter back.
The Archer Instructor chuckled dryly, "Have you heard of a telephone?"
Bridget shook her head. Athena deadpanned.
"What about a television?"
The Wind Archer shook her head again, wondering how this was related to her question.
"Do you know about a computer, a light bulb, an electric pole?"
By the time Athena was burying her head in her hands, Bridget had discovered over 50 new words!
"This," Athena concluded, "Might take a while to explain."