Chapter 3: The Declaration of War

Meryl woke up inside a rather huge, stone-walled room. She was in the healing room of the Criterion house. She got up, still feeling weak, and peered around her surroundings. She was stripped of her armor and was wearing a white robe, and had bandages around her wounds.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and a woman, wearing a viridian colored dress, entered. It was Miffy, one of the few females of the Criterion guild besides Meryl.

"Meryl, you're awake!" Miffy said with slight surprise. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little…" Meryl replied softly.

"Don't worry." Miffy grinned and approached Meryl. "After this, you'll be alright."

She pulled out a few reagents from the pouch that was tied on her belt and held them over Meryl.

"In Vas Mani." She chanted.

Meryl suddenly felt refreshed and as if she had regained her strength.

"Thank you, Miffy." Meryl said with a smile.

"You're welcome." Miffy smiled back. "You were lucky that you survived after all the blood you lost. It was a good thing you were brought back right away. You had almost the whole guild worrying about you!"

Meryl let out a small laugh.

"Sorry about that." She replied. "Oh, how are Jerk and Saber? Are they alright?"

"They're fine. They're already outside dueling with each other."

"I see. Thank you again." Meryl replied.

--

"AN EX POR!" Saber shouted as he aimed at Jerk.

"Oh no you don't!" Jerk yelled. "IN POR YLEM!"

A magic arrow shot out from his hand and hit his brother. Saber's reagents immediately disintegrated in a poof of smoke. Jerk, on his brand new horse, charged at Saber, who was also on a new gray horse. Jerk unsheathed his Viking sword and slashed, but Saber, being the more agile one, quickly drew his own sword and blocked the attack.

"Hah!" Saber cried with arrogance.

The two began to hack and slash at each other, while each of them bragged about how good they were. Darth Maul, Shacklebolt, and Totoy Mola, who were all watching the fight between Saber and Jerk, cheered and applauded.

"Saber's improving." Totoy Mola said.

"So is Jerk, despite his long absence." Darth Maul replied.

"I bet you a hundred gold pieces Saber's going to win." Shacklebolt said coolly to Darth Maul.

Darth Maul raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, I accept your challenge. Prepare to lose!" He replied with a smirk.

Meryl was now geared in iron armor. She opened the main gate and stepped out. She found her two cousins dueling, along with three other Criterions who were watching their progress.

"It looks like you're feeling better now."

Meryl startled and looked to her side. Greenarcher stood there with arms crossed, leaning back on the wall. She sighed with relief.

"You startled me." She said.

Meryl went down the steps and suddenly remembered something, and turned to the bronze armored archer.

"How is Lestat? He dueled with Urumi, didn't he?" She asked.

"Lestat is fine." Greenarcher answered as he approached Meryl. "We were actually lucky because she recalled herself out of Wrong shortly after you fainted."

"Why is that?" Meryl asked,confused. "Urumi retreated?"

"For now, she did. After she injured Lestat on his waist, she announced her true purpose of attacking you in the dungeon. Your dead body, apparently, was supposed to be her declaration of war against us."

Meryl's eyes widened with shock.

"A war!" She exclaimed so loudly that her two cousins heard her in the middle of their match.

"What war?" They asked in unison.

Even Shacklebolt, Totoy Mola, and Darth Maul seemed surprised.

"A war between Order and Chaos." Lestat's voice answered from the gate.

Everyone turned to him, wanting an explanation. Lestat was wearing a violet robe and he wore a grave expression in his face as he approached his fellowmen.

"I've already told those inside the Criterion house. Urumi Kanzaki has declared war against us with the purpose to destroy the balance between Order and Chaos. After she has destroyed us, she will advance to the Heretics, and then to other Order guilds until she has finished all of them." Lestat explained.

Meryl suddenly gripped the hilt of her sheathed sword tightly and muttered, "Is that so…"

"For all we know, Urumi may be preparing her army. If she gets anymore powerful than now, it will be impossible to defeat her. And once she does defeat us and every single man who stands for Order…" Lestat paused. "The whole of Britannia will be under her reign."

"I'm going out." Meryl blurted out.

"Whereto?" Lestat asked, rather surprised, and eyed her suspiciously.

"Just… somewhere important…" Meryl said quietly and with a tone of hesitation. "Totoy Mola, I'll need a mustang or a zostrich. You do have an extra one, don't you?"

"Of course." Totoy Mola answered and he went into the Criterion house.

Lestat still had his eyes on Meryl but turned to Greenarcher and Shacklebolt.

"Greenarcher, Shacklebolt, I need you two to look for the rest of the Criterions and tell them to come to the Criterion house immediately. I will be holding a meeting tonight." Lestat ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Greenarcher and Shacklebolt replied.

They mounted on their horses that were tied to a tree and rode off in different directions.

Totoy Mola returned and handed Meryl a shrunken Mythril zostrich. She released it and mounted on her new ride.

"Thank you." She said, and Totoy Mola nodded. He then returned to the Criterion house.

"Where are you going?" Saber asked Meryl.

Meryl pulled out a rune. After examining it, she realized that it was already out of charges. She then looked at her two cousins.

"Don't worry. I'll be back soon." She said and then turned to Lestat.

"Lestat, I'll be on way now. I'll be back as soon as I can." She told him.

Lestat nodded.

"Alright."

After hearing his answer, Meryl rode off, heading to the direction of Britain.