A/N: This is a super fast update. I know I had just updated my story earlier on the day but I couldn't resist writing on a new chapter. Haha. Anyway, hope everyone enjoy this chapter and pardon me if there's any grammar mistakes; my eyes are heavy at the moment --, Doesn't anyone read my fanfic? No one likes the story..waaaa...

Chapter 5: The Sage

News about the city of Prontera traveled fast. The stories about the fall of the Pronterean knights were soon the hot news throughout Rune Midgard. Worse yet, the gossip regarding their beloved king, King Tristan, is currently missing, filled the citizens in panic and terror. Their king had always been the one taking care of their well being, so without him, what is bound to happen? Wild rumors spread like wildfire, each story getting more farfetched as it passes on. Some say that a dark creature swooped down and killed thirty people in a single killing blow. A handful declared that a large group of unknown assassins infiltrated the city and killed everyone, kidnapping King Tristan at the same time. While others swore that they saw a stampede of demons ravaging the city before leaving with the king.

Many theories were formed but everyone was stumped by the mysterious attack. Therefore, the Divination Sector, which consists of sages both old and young, had self-appointed themselves to unravel the situation. Not that anyone bothered to object; the sages were well known for their wide expanse of knowledge. Day in and day out, the studious thinkers examined the facts and logic of the problem, hoping to find a solution to their questions.

Piles of worn books tottered by the edge of the dusty table as one particular sage pored over ancient scrolls and unintelligible writings. A candle burned nearby, its soft light illuminating the weary amethyst eyes of the sage. His silvery hair fell forward as he leaned closer at what he was studying. Absent-mindedly, he pushed his unkempt hair back, his eyes never leaving the ancient symbols etched on a piece of worn parchment. Suddenly, growling in disgust, the sage thumped on the table hard, causing the tottering books to fall and crash onto the hard floor. He stared at the fallen books. Hopeless. Everything was hopeless to him. Nothing here makes sense.

"I gotta find the answers before it's too late…"

Standing up, the exhausted sage picked up his staff and strode out determinedly to the exit, ignoring the untidy mess he created. His tired muscles screamed of aches and sores, but he ignored them and walked purposefully towards a fair lady nearby. There was no time to waste and he needed to seek out the truth fast.

"Send me to Morroc city, please," he said crisply to the lady, who incidentally was a receptionist of Kapra. The lady bowed and teleported him to the requested city.

The silvery-haired sage felt himself soaring through a different realm and landed gracefully in the dusty city. Having arrived in the city, the sage looked around him calculatedly. He wanted to reach his destination fast but he doubted if his strength would carry him there. He was getting weary from hours of research and he needed some rest. Spotting an inn nearby, he started to walk towards it. After a few steps, he stumbled and crashed onto the pavement. "Oh god, I'm so weak," he muttered as he tried to get up.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Wearily, the sage tried to focus on the voice and found himself staring at a pair of piercing blue eyes of a lovely woman. Silently, he cursed himself for being so helpless. He hated others to see him that way. Damn, he thought wretchedly as he felt himself slipping into darkness and oblivion. Just before passing out, he noticed a spark of recognition in the raven-haired beauty. Do I know her? He thought hazily as sweet oblivion blanketed him.

"Lyss? Are you there?"

Alyssa started as her friend peeped into her room. Quickly covering her wound with her cape, she turned around, plastering a smile on her face. Her quick wits told her to carry on like nothing happened, but one look at the archer's face made her realize that it would just be futile. She sighed.

"Alyssa, what happened? And-is that blood?"

Again, the alchemist sighed. "Something came up. Or rather, someone came in," came the cryptic reply as she stood up to clear away the mess Shadow made.

Earilith looked shrewdly at her friend. Alyssa doesn't normally work herself out into anger but she sensed her fury this time. Something big happened in this room, she knew it, but what?

"Lyss, is something wrong?" she asked quietly, sitting gingerly at the edge of the bed while watching the jerky movements of the alchemist. Alyssa laughed bitterly, "Everything's wrong, nothing's right. I can't even rest without knowing what is to happen to my sister."

"Wha-? Did something happen to Constance? Alyssa, what's the problem? Spill!" the archer demanded as she stared at her friend in shock. She knew Constance since young. The graceful huntress was the one that had encouraged her to pick up archery as her job instead of hunkering about with swords. She was also the one to patiently teach Earilith the skills of an archer.

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Alyssa gave a huge sob and flung herself at her friend, sobbing uncontrollably. Murmuring softly and comfortingly, the archer stroked her hair gently, soothing her pain and sorrows. Finally, Alyssa lifted her tearstained face and pushed away her streaked hair from her face disconsolately.

"Constance is kidnapped by someone I don't even know who. And Shadow just popped in a while ago delivering the message that she'll die if I don't give him what he wants," she stated flatly, feeling devoid of any emotion now.

Startled, Earilith stared at the alchemist. "Kidnapped? But why? And what does this unknown fella wants?" she asked curiously. Alyssa shrugged. She didn't want to tell her friend about the glimmering stone. It was best if it remained unknown to everyone, even Earilith.

"Come let's go out. This place is getting onto my nerves."

She grabbed her cart and slung her axe around her shoulder, looking back only once to make sure the archer followed her. Her waist-length raven hair swished away as she left the room.

Earilith stared at the gaping door. She was still trying to digest the startling news when Alyssa left the room like a whirlwind. She mentally shook herself and picked up her bow and arrows. "Some things are best left unsaid, unless she wants to explain," she muttered to herself.

Closing the door behind her, she went downstairs to the bar. "That girl is one heck of a fast walker. She's not even here!" she muttered as she headed towards the inn's entrance door. Just as she stepped outside, she saw that there was a commotion nearby. "Now what?" she groaned silently, striding purposefully towards the scene. The first thing she saw was her friend holding an unconscious sage. Make that a handsome unconscious sage. Some girls have all the luck, she thought as she hurried by her friend's side.

"Alyssa, what's wrong? And who's this fella?"

The alchemist stared at Earilith uncomprehendingly for a few moments before saying urgently, "Lith, help me carry this man to our room. He passed out just a while ago."

The archer raised an eyebrow. This sounds serious, and she didn't mean the sage's condition. She'd seen too many sages in their fainting fits due to overstress and overwork. No, what interest her was the way her friend was reacting over him. The alchemist was never this ruffled before.

"Lith!"

Jerking out from her thoughts, Earilith nodded and bent down to lift his arm and place it around her neck. She motioned Alyssa to do the same, and the both of them grunted as they lifted the dead weight of the sage between them. "Boy, this is definitely not my day," the archer grunted as she felt her legs getting shaky from his weight. Around them, some of the mischievous boys catcalled them while the others looked at the sage concernedly. Some even looked doubtful at the two ladies. They seemed too weak to carry a man, even if it took both of them.

"Let's go, and bring your cart along with you," panted the archer, feeling glad that the inn was just nearby. Nodding her head, Alyssa used one hand to pull her cart while the other holding onto the silvery-haired sage.

"Oi, if all of you aren't going to help us, could you at least don't block our way please?" yelled Earilith in exasperation, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as yet another thief stood in front of them. Then out of the blue, she felt herself getting stronger and her energy restored. Surprised, she looked at Alyssa, who looked back at her at equal astonishment. She looked around, wondering who had healed her. To her surprise, she saw a priest making his way forcefully towards her, grinning away. There's something familiar about that priest, she thought to herself as she struggled to walk past the curious onlookers.

"Here, let me help you," said the priest as he took the deadened weight into his arms. He half-carried the slumped sage into the inn and asked, "Where shall I put him, Lith?"

Earilith stared at him, feeling confused. How did he know her name? Behind her, Alyssa motioned wearily towards her room. "Just put him on the bed," she said. Nodding his head, the priest dumped the body unceremoniously onto the mattress and looked at the archer, one of his eyebrows lifting in mock disapproval.

"Why, I believe you've forgotten all about me, Lith!" he said mischievously.

"Ahh, I don't think I know you. Or at least I think I know you, but I'm not sure where did I meet you before."

The priest laughed, portraying a set of white teeth at the same time. "Ah, so you did forget about us, didn't you? Let me refresh your memories. The first time we met, you were yelling at me thinking that I stole something from my sister at the caves of Payon," he said cheerfully.

Something clicked in the archer's brain and she exclaimed, "Astrexil! Astrexil Kristos! I haven't seen you in ages! Why did you leave me all alone in Payon at that time? And where's Anexia?"

Astrexil raised both hands laughingly and said, "Whoa, slow down! The reason why we left you were because we had a little family crisis back home and we had to leave immediately. So sorry if we made you worried. Yeah, Anexia's taking her assassin's exams right now, which is why I'm walking around like an idiot in this city."

The archer laughed, feeling a little overwhelmed by all this. Looks like she needs to take the huntress exam fast; everyone's been promoted already! "Err, sorry to break the happy reunion guys, but can we have Mr. Healer here for a moment to heal Shenzein from his obvious exhaustion?" Alyssa voice rose slightly as she placed a wet towel on the sage's forehead. Murmuring an apology, Astrexil stood by the silvery-haired sage and quickly healed him, trying to restore his energy.

Earilith frowned thoughtfully. Shenzein. That name sounds familiar, she thought as she watched the priest on his work. "Hey, wait a sec! That was the mage that rescued me from the orc! But what does he have to do with Alyssa?" she said to herself. She felt a flicker of jealousy in her as she watched the alchemist tenderly attending to the sage. She quickly banished it and mentally shook herself. Stop it! He means nothing to you and you know it! Besides, I have other things more important than that sage to take care with; my huntress exams for example, she scolded herself silently. Noticing that Astrexil was done, she motioned him to follow her and leave the other two alone. Nodding, the priest said something gently at Alyssa and followed Earilith outside. Things are happening way too fast, thought the archer uneasily as she headed down to a vacant table. She needed a strong dose of alcohol…