Unsurprisingly, everyone was as ready as it got to get out of Quarrycrest when morning arrived.
In fact, Cyrus would even go so far as to say this was the fastest they had all prepared to leave a town since they had started traveling together. Everyone had packed their things the night before as chaos began to reign over the streets, giving people the confidence they needed to stand up against the others in the upper class that had stepped on them for so long. With Morlock gone, the others at the top of the town's social pyramid began to scramble, and a good chunk of them even fled before the night was over. When morning came, a strange sense of calm had settled over the city.
While waiting for the last few members of the group to finish with their packing, Tressa and Alfyn stood near the entrance to the town. Tressa had just gotten back from a visit to Ali, and he had wished her the best before saying he would be leaving later that day. With a promise to see one another again soon, they parted ways. Alfyn was back on his feet again after the difficult battle the day before, thanks in no small part to the healing skills of Ophilia, Cyrus, and H'aanit. Still, Tressa watched him with a wary eye, always peering at him out of her peripheral vision. "Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be up and about so soon?" Tressa asked. "If you're still feeling bad, I'm sure it would be fine for us to take a bit of a break before we left."
"I'm feeling fine, Tress," Alfyn assured her with a wave of one hand. "I don't think I've slept that soundly in years. As it turns out, your body loves it when you finally crash after a rough day like that." He cast her a sideways smile, and Tressa laughed to herself, though she wished she actually found any of this funny. If anything, she was just worried.
"Still, I worry about you," Tressa told him, her smile starting to falter. "If you really feel fine, then that's great to hear, but I don't want you to push yourself too hard if you still feel bad. I mean, Omar hit you pretty hard yesterday."
"I wouldn't have said this yesterday, but I feel fine enough to get to Victors Hollow," Alfyn said. "I needed the rest, and now that I've gotten it, I know I'm goin' to be alright. We're going to be in Victors Hollow before we know it, and we can see what the tournament there has to offer us when we arrive."
Tressa smiled, reaching out one hand to take Alfyn's fingers between her own. "Just tell us if you wind up feeling bad along the way, okay?" she instructed. "I don't want you to make yourself sick because you didn't want to slow us down. If you. need to rest once we get there, please do it."
"Tress, I'm fine," Alfyn insisted again. "If I really felt bad still, I wouldn't be standin' here. I know how bad of an idea it is to push yourself when you're sufferin', and I'm not goin' to do that if I think it's gonna put me at risk. I'll be okay, Tress. You don't need to worry about me."
The merchant let out a hefty sigh, and she pressed her free hand against her forehead. She laughed at her own dramatic gesture. "Wow, look at me. I never thought I would turn into such a worrier," she admitted. "I'm sounding just like my father now, and I really never thought I would say that."
Alfyn just laughed, the sound hearty and full. "It happens to the best of us, but it's all fine now. You have nothing to worry about. Victors Hollow awaits, and I'm not going to be the one who stops us from getting there," he said firmly.
Before Tressa had the chance to protest any further, the other members of the group streamed out of the inn. H'aanit stroked at Linde's head as the door to the inn closed behind her, and Primrose adjusted the straps of her bag before nodding to the rest of the group. "I think that's our cue," she announced. "Whenever you're ready, everyone."
Cyrus, who was currently positioned at the front of the group, nodded as he turned his focus back to the entrance of the town. At long last, they were heading to Victors Hollow. It felt like a lifetime ago that they had last discussed traveling to the wooded town, though he was glad they had decided to stop in Quarrycrest for as long as they had. After all, it had given them the chance to defeat Morlock and save the people who had been captured in the sewers, and Cyrus knew that was a benefit nothing could ever hope to compare to. Even if the travelers couldn't stick around long enough to see what the town became from there, Cyrus was confident this would be a Quarrycrest they could all be proud of. They would have to return one day after their other business was finished. But for the time being, they had other things to take care of, and that meant heading for Victors Hollow.
"You're still here."
Cyrus almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of Odette's voice, and the rest of the travelers fell silent as the blonde woman strolled closer. Her eyes were tired, and she had clearly only awoken an hour ago at most. Still, she didn't let her exhaustion show in any other way as she approached Cyrus carefully.
Cyrus simply nodded to her. "I am, but not a moment longer," he replied. "Thank for everything, Odette. I am in your debt."
Odette shrugged, her blonde ponytail rustling along the way. "You helped out a little here. What say we call it even?" she asked. In all honesty, she probably should have been giving him something extra after all Cyrus and the rest of the party had done for Quarrycrest, but she didn't say that out loud. That was something she would just tuck away into her back pocket until she needed to bring it up again. Odette disregarded the train of thought as she closed the distance between herself and Cyrus, placing one hand on his shoulder. "Be safe, Cyrus. I have a hunch you're poking around in something far more sinister than either of us can imagine."
Cyrus nodded his reassurance. "I am well aware of the danger. I will exercise due caution," he promised her, looking over her shoulder carefully in hopes that perhaps he would catch even the slightest glimpse of the spy. He came up short though, so he focused his gaze back on Odette before anyone could ask any questions.
Odette didn't seem to notice his moment of distraction though, instead just letting out a snort of a laugh alongside a roll of her eyes. "Due caution? I'll believe it once you quit diving headfirst into whatever you think smells of mystery."
Cyrus shook his head casually. "A man cannot so easily change his gods-given disposition," he replied with a shrug of his own.
Odette looked off to the side quietly, tapping one shoe against the rusted rocks beneath her feet. "You said it was fifteen years ago that the tome was stolen," she began.
"That I did. What of it?" Cyrus asked, already unsure and cautious as to where Odette was trying to go next.
"As you may recall, the then-headmaster of the academy died under mysterious circumstances the very same year," Odette frowned.
"And you believe the two incidents are connected somehow," Cyrus finished. A creeping sense of dread rose up in the center of his stomach, but he did his best to ignore it in favor of the matter at hand.
"No, I just like spouting valedictory trivia," Odette responded dryly before changing her demeanor to appear much more sincere. "But now that you mention it... The disorder following the incident would offer a convenient opportunity to misappropriate an article from the archives, wouldn't you say?"
"Your insight is invaluable and appreciated. I will keep this in mind," Cyrus said with a nod.
That choice of words made Odette wince, and she tightened her grip on his shoulder ever so slightly. "I mean it, Cyrus. Be careful out there." Her eyes were filled with a concern unlike anything Cyrus had ever seen from her before, and it scared him in ways he had never expected to see.
Still, he shook his head to dismiss her concern. "I will. And I'll return as soon as I got to the bottom of this. You have my word," he assured her.
"I'll be waiting with bells on," Odette said. She finally pried her hand away from his shoulder and let out a careful sigh. "Until then, Cyrus."
Odette turned on her heel once he gave her a parting nod. Odette offered a small wave to Primrose, and the dancer returned the gesture. Odette paused briefly before she approached Primrose, wrapping her in a tight hug. For a few moments, all Primrose could do was stand there, but she managed to return the gesture soon afterward. "You stay safe too," Odette instructed softly. Primrose nodded, and she watched as Odette turned away from her and retreated deeper into the town.
Cyrus turned to the rest of the travelers before gesturing to the entrance of Quarrycrest. "Victors Hollow awaits us," he declared. They all shared glances that said they were more than ready to get out of there before following Cyrus out of the town. At long last, they were finished in their collective least favorite town yet, and if all went well, it would mark the start of a new era without the burdens of Quarrycrest at the forefront of their minds.
As they were leaving though, the shadows of the town seemed to move behind them. Cyrus glanced over his shoulder briefly, wondering if perhaps it would give him a glimpse of the spy that had been following them for gods only knew how long. In the end, he saw nothing, and he chose to focus on the path ahead. The spy would make themselves known soon enough, and when they did, Cyrus would be ready.
Olberic fell into pace alongside Cyrus, and the scholar looked up at him. "Is something troubling you?" he asked softly. He already knew the answer, but he moved through the conversation slowly so as to not make Olberic uncomfortable.
"Don't stop, and don't look back," Olberic returned, his eyes narrowing solemnly. "We must not alert them to the fact that we are aware of their presence. If they escape, then we will only make this harder for ourselves in the future."
Cyrus nodded. "I would prefer to drag them out of hiding and force them to confess their intentions, but I suppose that would do little to help us now," he frowned. "It would be too easy for them to get away with how busy the city streets are. I doubt we would even come close to executing a plan like that."
"We'll tell the others of what we know as soon as we can," Olberic said. "We must be as quiet as possible though to ensure the spy doesn't realize we know of their presence. I doubt they overheard our conversation yesterday. They wouldn't have made such an obvious error if they knew we were aware of them following us."
"Then we must follow the only avenue available to us," Cyrus concluded. "We continue on our way, pretend we have noticed nothing, and let them make the first move. Soon enough, they will make a mistake, and when they do, we will be ready."
"We must be on the lookout for any knives pointed at our backs though," Olberic reminded him. "Letting our guard slip would be the first step to catastrophe. The others will know soon enough, and when they do, we can come up with a plan for how to counter the spy."
"Knowing one's enemy is the first step to defeating them," Cyrus nodded. "We must gather all the information we can get our hands on, and right now, that means waiting... We can turn around and confront them as soon as we find the moment to be right."
Olberic nodded his agreement before he focused his attention ahead once again. He turned his head over his shoulder under the mask of looking at the other travelers, though he silently scanned the area for any signs of the spy. He saw nothing though, and once again, the theory of the group being followed only in towns came to mind. Perhaps the spy was taking other routes on the way to different cities to keep from being caught. It would have been a genius plan, though that did little to change how unsettled Olberic felt about all of this.
Cyrus focused only on placing one foot in front of the other, and the other travelers followed him as he handled the map. They would be at Victors Hollow soon enough, and if all went well, they would be able to forget all of their Quarrycrest struggles once they arrived. Given how the last few days had gone, that was an idea none of them could object to.
It was the start of a new era for them all, and they couldn't wait to see some change.
About an hour and a half after the group had started walking toward Victors Hollow, Cyrus scanned his surroundings in search of the spy. When he came up empty, he turned his attention to Tressa where she was walking near him. Tressa was holding a skystone between her fingers, turning it over with a curious eye. She had reclaimed her findings after the battle against Morlock, and as far as Cyrus could tell, she was planning on using the skystones as fuel for the group's funds if they found themselves running short on cash. For the time being though, she used one of the small rocks as a mark of their adventure, though Cyrus couldn't tell if it was because she wanted to remember or if she was desperate to forget.
Either way, Cyrus supposed it didn't matter, at least not at the moment. He approached her carefully and tapped her shoulder. Tressa looked up at him with wide eyes, and Cyrus cleared his throat. "Tressa, there's something I need to tell you," he began, only realizing just how ominous that sounded after the words had left his lips.
Tressa tilted her head ever so slightly to the right. "What do you mean?" she asked. The longer she looked in his eyes, the more suspicious she seemed to get, not that Cyrus could blame her. They all had a lot to think about these days, and their time in Quarrycrest had only proven how little they understood about the world around them.
"I believe we are being followed," Cyrus said. Tressa stopped on the spot, glancing around for any signs of eyes tracking her movements, but Cyrus placed a hand on her back to guide her forward. "I spoke with Olberic, Primrose, and H'aanit yesterday, and we all believe there is someone following us. We cannot say for sure who it is or what they want, but I wanted you to know so that you could prepare for it."
Tressa stared down at the ground for a long time, biting down on her lip and working the skin between her teeth. "I guess we really can't catch a break, huh?" She kicked at a small red rock that crossed her path before shaking her head. "What are we going to do about it?"
"For now, we have decided to let the spy do as they please. They will have to show themselves soon enough, and when they do, we will be ready to face them," Cyrus replied. "I cannot say when we will confront them if they choose to remain in the shadows for longer than expected, but... I thought you should be aware. The others will be hearing of this as well."
Tressa nodded to herself, kicking at the same rock again as she caught up to where it had landed previously. "Okay... Just tell me if you wind up deciding to confront them, okay?" she said. "I want to be there when we do this. I don't know who could be behind this either, but I want to do something about it when the time comes." She paused for a long moment before crossing her arms. "Hold on... Do we know how long this person has been following us around?"
Cyrus shook his head, and Tressa hissed, the sound coming out strained from between her teeth. "Olberic believes it happened before he joined the group since he has always had this creeping sensation. He only voiced his concerns in Quarrycrest because H'aanit began to notice it as well when we went out hunting," Cyrus explained. "If I had to guess, I would say that it had something to do with Ophilia's work as the current Flamebearer. There are many people who would consider themselves enemies of the church, and they would probably like to target her for the Ember in her possession."
"Then we'll have to be on our guard to make sure that doesn't happen," Tressa concluded, and Cyrus nodded. "I'm not going to let anything happen to Ophilia or anyone else here. If the spy wants to try and cause problems for us, then they're going to have to face my wrath. I'm not going to let them get away with this."
"Just take care to not let the truth slip any sooner than necessary," Cyrus reminded her. "We must tread carefully. I do not know what this person wants, and my idea about the Ember is only a theory at this point. We have not even seen the face of our mystery spy yet, and that means any attempts to uncover their nature will likely fall short."
"Okay," Tressa murmured. She sighed and shook her head once again, shoulders deflating along the way. "I don't like any of this. It just... Gives me a bad feeling. I know that's kind of the point of the spy in the first place, but I wish there was something more we could do to try and fix this, you know?"
"I understand. For the time being, we must simply proceed cautiously and ensure that we are not struck from behind when we least expect it," Cyrus told her, and Tressa nodded. "We will be safe as long as we are careful, and I doubt any of us would let our guards drop prematurely if we could avoid it."
Tressa nodded her confirmation of that, though she wished she could do something more than that. Her stomach was twisting with anxiety the longer she thought about all of this, but she did her best to not let her anxiety show on her face. They had more than enough to worry about even without her anxiety skyrocketing and forcing the others to comfort her. Their journey in Victors Hollow had to take priority above all else.
Cyrus glanced around the rest of the group and realized that the other travelers had finished explaining the matter of the spy to those who were not yet aware of it. Primrose had spoken to Therion, H'aanit had approached Alfyn, and Olberic spoke with Ophilia. As soon as the group was all caught up on the circumstances at hand, Cyrus cleared his throat to earn their attention. "Two options present themselves for our path ahead at this point," he announced.
"And what would those options be?" Tressa asked, eager to hear about their potential plans for taking care of the spy. "Are we going to face them down when we get to Victors Hollow?"
Cyrus shook his head. "What I mean is that we can either head straight to Victors Hollow and guarantee our arrival in time for the tournament... Or we can make a brief detour to enter the shrine in this area," he announced, and Tressa realized that he was trying to move on from the subject of the spy to ensure that any listening ears wouldn't realize that they knew. It had been a sudden transition, so Tressa couldn't kick herself too much for not seeing it, but she still wished she hadn't said anything about facing down with the spy just to be safe. There was no changing it now though.
"Where are the other shrine locations?" Primrose questioned. "I would be alright with moving past the shrine for now to get to Victors Hollow a bit sooner, especially if we want to see the tournament taking place there today..."
"I have yet to narrow down the other shrine locations in detail, but I know for certain that one of them is in this area," Cyrus replied. "In an ideal world, this never would have been an issue, but because our plans in Quarrycrest forced us to stay there for an extra day, we must now rearrange our other strategy. If we wish to attend the tournament in Victors Hollow, then we should head straight there. We can double back to the shrine after the tournament is over. After all, I imagine Victors Hollow would be the perfect place for us to gather our bearings after the stress of the last few days."
"I think we could all use a break," Ophilia agreed. "If we're going to be in Victors Hollow for a few days to try and catch our breath, then there would be no harm in waiting and visiting the shrine after we've attended the tournament. We can go later today or over the course of the next few days."
"After we get to Victors Hollow, we'll have been to every major town in the second major ring of settlements on Orsterra," Cyrus went on. "In other words, we should be able to use the Warp Staff to go anywhere when we so desire it. The choice is ours to make once we arrive in the city. Either way, we'll be close enough to the shrine that going there at any point should be relatively painless."
Everyone looked to one another, and eventually, all eyes settled on Olberic. His search for Erhardt was the primary reason they were going to Victors Hollow in the first place, so if anyone was going to make this decision, it should have been him. Olberic closed his eyes in contemplation, though it was also in part so he wouldn't have to directly meet the gazes of anyone watching him so expectantly. He had more than enough weight on his shoulders even without feeling the burden of the others' eyes on him too, and he didn't want to make himself feel any worse than necessary.
On one hand, Olberic was afraid of what he was going to find when he arrived in Victors Hollow. After all the years he had spent suffering silently because of Erhardt, he feared what he was going to hear when he finally spoke to Gustav. On the other, he had waited long enough, and he doubted he would be able to focus much on the battle in the shrine if they went there first. Besides, going to the shrine would put them at risk of missing the tournament, and that was far from what Olberic wanted.
"We go to Victors Hollow first," Olberic eventually said. He didn't know how he felt about being left as the one to make the important decision, but there was little he could do to change that, so he went along with it for the time being. "We can go to the shrine later and see what waits for us when the time is right."
"That settles that then," Cyrus smiled. He looked down to the map once again, his eyes glossing over it slowly and carefully as they came to a fork in the road. "This way it is." He tucked the map away and started onward once more, the rest of the travelers following him easily.
The rest of the journey to Victors Hollow, brief as it was, took place in silence. They all understood unanimously that they were not to bring up the spy again beyond what had already been said, and they were all too happy to do that. It would just be a matter of time before they sucked the spy into their trap, but until then, they had to focus on moving forward. Victors Hollow was their first priority, and when they arrived, they would likely have to contend with the spy again in their own way for better or worse.
The trees slowly began to part the closer the travelers got to their destination, and stones appeared in the pathways of grass and dirt. Victors Hollow was the largest settlement in the Woodlands by far. S'warkii could have fit into Victors Hollow at least four times over, if not even more. The city was the heart of the woodlands, a bustling town of warriors, merchants, and lovers alike. In more ways than one, Victors Hollow was a strange place of romance and whimsy, its quiet grace hypnotizing all who crossed through its borders.
The path to Victors Hollow grew firmer the closer the group got with stones fully replacing the brown roads of the wilds. A massive bridge stretched out before them that stretched into the primary road running through the center of town. Stalls pressed themselves together near the entrance of the city, and people from all walks of life chattered and clamored near the merchants with smiles on their faces. Even with so many people present, the city was oddly quiet, like everything took place only on the other side of a mirror made of water. Victors Hollow never slept in a soft, gentle way, a sharp contrast from the constant noise of Quarrycrest. The best comparison to Victors Hollow was Stonegard, but even then, there was nothing quite like the wooded city.
"Wow," Tressa murmured once they had managed to shuffle through half of the main street. She kept eyeing the stalls on either side of the entrance of the town, a bright smile on her face. "I don't think I've ever seen a place quite like this... I bet I'm going to find something amazing for the Merchant's Fair before we leave."
"What's that about the Merchant's Fair?" Alfyn questioned with a small tilt of his head. "I thought that wasn't happenin' for a while."
"It's not. Still, I think I should probably try to get something a bit more impressive than the skystones, especially if we're using them for funding our travels in the meantime," Tressa replied as she tossed her small rock into the air before catching it. "If the best and the greatest are all gathered there like Ali said, then I'm going to need to step up my game. If there are so many great treasures on sale here, then there's got to be something I can get my hands on for the Merchant's Fair. Even if it's a while off, I feel like it would take a lot of pressure off my shoulders to have it out of the way early, you know?"
"That makes sense," Alfyn agreed with a light nod. "Who knows? Maybe we'll even find somethin' impressive during the tournament."
"That's probably why there are so many people around here," Primrose chimed in. "I've heard of Victors Hollow being busy on a good day, but with the tournament taking place today, I imagine many others have flocked to the area to see it."
"Victors Hollow is known for its competitions like this," Therion said, pulling away from someone who nearly collided with his shoulder. Therion shot the man a glare before rolling his eyes dramatically. "It happens a lot more than you would think. Everyone wants a chance to take home the gold."
"Some competitions are greater than others here," Cyrus agreed. "I believe we've arrived just in time for perhaps the greatest tournament of the year. I have no doubt this will be just the thing for us to take our minds off what happened in Quarrycrest."
"I don't even want to hear that name anymore," Ophilia admitted with a thick, heavy laugh. "We're here in part to enjoy ourselves. We can gather information about Gustav and go to the shrine when we're ready. For now, I think we should try to hear more about the town so that we can have as much fun as possible."
"Let's get a few rooms at the inn first," Alfyn announced. "We can put our things down there before we head back to the tournament. I want to see what it's about as soon as possible, but we're just weighin' ourselves down by draggin' all our stuff with us."
"The rooms are bound to be way more expensive at this time of year. If the tournament is as big a deal as we've been led to believe, then a lot of people are going to want to pay for a room, and that means prices are going to rise," Tressa told him. "Do you think you'd be able to ask around about getting a discount for us?"
Alfyn nodded, sending her a bright, lopsided smile. "You've got it. I'll have this all taken care of before you know it," he assured her. When he was able to find a break in the crowds, he took off to start asking people questions.
The rest of the travelers settled down outside the inn, waiting for Alfyn to return with the information they needed. Even if Victors Hollow was busy, this was everything they needed. Quarrycrest had been a weight on all of their minds and bodies, but this would be the break they had sought. Even if they had a mission there, it was a step in the right direction.
They had earned this, and they would enjoy it for everything it was worth.
And so the Quarrycrest arc ends at last! For real this time!
This chapter was mostly a transition one, so it briefly touched on the Tressa and Alfyn travel banter along with the Cyrus and Olberic conversation. After the first half though, things turned back to transition for new content. I changed up the travel banter in both cases to make a bit more sense in context, and the same applies to the conversation between Cyrus and Odette. With that out of the way, Quarrycrest is finally out of the picture for the foreseeable future.
Whew. I really liked this arc, yes, but it was also... Incredibly long. We first got here in chapter 86, and we're only leaving in chapter 102. Wowza. I'm very happy with how this segment turned out, but I'm also very excited to shift into the final chapter two. Woohoo! It's go time, baby!
I was halfway tempted to start Olberic's chapter two here, but I wound up holding back on it. Also, I held back on the last of the shrines for now. Yeah, we're waiting on Draefendi a little bit longer. Why is that? In case Tressa's dialogue hadn't already hinted at it, we're doing her chapter three first, and that means we have another situation of two chapters taking place in the same town back to back. Since these chapters aren't as heavily connected as Tressa and Cyrus' chapter twos, I wanted to have something to break it up, so we're waiting on the Draefendi shrine until after Olberic's chapter two.
Speaking of shrines, I'm going to ask for everybody's feedback for the future shrines as we finish up chapter two and get ready for chapter three. I'm not entirely sure how to handle the last four shrines since on one hand, I was going to spread them out in chapter three, but on the other, I was thinking of having them all back to back at the start of chapter four. They both have their pros and cons, but I'd like to hear what you would all prefer there. It's going to be a while before we get there, as I'm sure you can imagine, but I still wanted to ask early for my own sake. I'm a planner, after all, so I want to have this all laid out as early as possible.
For now though, we've got to finish up chapter two. We'll start up Olberic's chapter two next week at long last! A hundred chapters in! Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital