Chapter 6-Archaeon part I

"Ummm….Aru?" Julia asked as the three of them walked around the busy streets of Prontera.

"Yes?"

"Err….I think I'm ready."

Aru blushed, thinking it was something else. Lucas couldn't help but listen in. "F-For what?"

"I wanna become a sage now."

"Oh…is that all? I was thinking you were ready to—" Aru covered Lucas's mouth, stopping him from saying anything.

"Ok, well, anyway we're going to Juno I guess. So we'd better head over to one of those Kafra ladies and—"

"The Exodus Network is down right?" Lucas said as he hit Aru hard on the back of his neck. "What the hell were you thinking? Riding on the kafras piggy-back all the way to Juno?"

Aru couldn't help but imagine.

"Oh, umm…wait here. I should get some supplies for our little trip."

"I'll come with you." Aru said as he ran towards Julia. Lucas stayed behind, walking and walking without any objective.

A cloaked figure passed by him. His face and everything was covered, and as he passed by, Lucas could've sworn he muttered "Sage…"

"Suspicious……"

"That'll be 1, 000z please." The merchant said as he took out their order of potions.

Julia gave the man the money. Aru rushed her so that they could get back to Lucas.

"Quickly, he must be worried sick!" Aru said as he walked briskly. "We need an alchemist with us…we can't afford to lose him."

Aru bumped some stranger with dark cloaks.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said as he bowed down to apologize. Julia went over to him and said, "We better get going now."

They went around the man, but the man still whisked in front of them.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

He didn't reply. Instead, the man put his hands inside his cloak.

"(What the hell does this guy want?)" Julia thought to herself.

The man's arms emerged from the cloak, carrying a large sword along with it. This sword was unlike anything the two had ever seen. It was large…..larger even than the man, but he somehow wielded it with ease.

He raised the sword high in the air and yelled "Aduro Phasmatis!"

As the sword descended upon Aru, he could not find it in himself to move, overcome by the fear. He closed his eyes and said to himself, "Goodbye!"

Seconds passed, and Aru opened his eyes. He was still in Prontera. He looked for the guy who wanted to kill him. He was nowhere to be found.

"W-What just happened?" He asked Julia.

"I-I have no idea."

Aru looked beneath him. A bottle with a metallic silver liquid was on the floor. He could faintly see the words "Lucas Valentine" labeled on the bottle…as did all the other bottles he saw him make.

Aru picked it up and showed it to Julia.

"Lucas!" She yelled.

Someone touched her from behind. She didn't want to look, because she was overcome by grief.

"Excuse me."

"Not now!"

"Excuse me!"

"What the heck is your problem! Whoever you are!" Julia said as she turned around. "Oh. L-Lucas!"

"Hey! We thought you…umm…..d—" Aru was hesitant to continue his sentence. Although he had only been a friend not even for a whole day, they both still cared for him….mainly because they really needed an alchemist.

"—died? Pffsshh! Me? Puh-leeze."

"Well, we better get going….Juno's a long way from here." Julia suggested.

Black Mamba gave her order to a waiter in an Al de Baran-ian restaurant. "That'll be all."

"Yes, ma'am."

This restaurant seemed to have very good food, as the whole place was filled. If Black Mamba hadn't threatened to use her necromancy, she'd never get a seat.

People were constantly chattering in the restaurant. The whole building was filled with noise from people.

"Worthless humans."

She pointed at one of the goblets one of the women were about to drink with. It was filled with water. As she snapped her fingers, the water turned into poison, and the woman fell on the ground.

Naturally, people went over to the woman, helping her out.

"Useless lives….."

"H-How much farther is this damn mountain?" Aru asked.

"We're really tired….we need to rest." Julia said as she panted.

"You wanted to become the sage! We'll never make it at the rate you're going! Put your backs into it!"