A/N: Chapter 14 is finally out! Haha..sorry it took so long guys, I had my exams. Anyway:

Tom Valor: Thanks! But I'm still not that good at writing

Puppkid: Sorry if this story is confusing, I'm just writing them based on instinct so it could be rather messy p

wenzen37: I like mythology too, but I think I might have mix up a few goddesses somewhere > anyway, what's a deus ex-machina??

Hyuuga: Yeah, I kinda realised that too. I think it's cause I wrote that last part when I was half asleep. haha.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm going to be busy again next week but hopefully I am able to continue writing! Oh and by the way, this is an explainatory chapter...so please don't fall from your chair...falling asleep! p

Chapter 14: Bows And Arrows

Al de Baran, the city of mystery. It was also where the alchemist's guild, Test Tube, was situated. Merchants around the age of twenty and thirty could be seen flocking hopefully around the entrance of the guild as they desperately tried to rehash back their practice and studies before their names were called out for their exams.

At the very middle of the city lies a vast building, with blue, worn out roof shingles and a luminous round clock just below it. It was the clock tower. And just surrounding it was a wide stretch of pavement, squared on all four sides around the tower. Merchants could be seen shouting their wares, competing for customers and at the same time, trying to sabotage their opponent's business.

There were also veterans of many kinds; crusaders, priests, knights, and many more, taking short breaks while regenerating their strength from their training. There was also a Kapra Receptionist nearby, cheerfully teleporting those that wished to leave the city fast and easy and handling storage for her customers at the same time.

Apart from being the center for the alchemists, Al de Baran too belongs to the headquarters of Kapra. There, young ladies who wish to join the forces of receptionists were trained gruelingly. It was also a place for the public to exchange gift points earned from their frequent use of the company into simple gifts such as a pair of snazzy sunglasses. One can even store items there as there is a large storage room designed specially for that purpose.

At that very moment, there was a loud argument in the storage room. Young novices that were taken in by a Kapra tour guide looked at each other in alarm as the volume of the voices increased rapidly. Soon, they could hear the shouts of a woman from behind the closed door.

"What do you mean, it's not there?"

There was a soft, unintelligible response.

"Well, find them, now! For the mercy of God, what must I do to get good services around here?"

Just then, two Kapra ladies rushed past by the tour group and headed straight into the storage room. The young children craned their necks to see what was going on. But the door was already shut by then. Inside, the two ladies saw an angry huntress with a Kapra receptionist, who was nearly in tears at that moment. One of the two Kapra ladies stepped forward.

"Excuse me, I am Lexia, manageress of Kapra's headquarters. What seems to be the problem here?" asked the raven-haired lady politely. The huntress turned around to glare at Lexia.

"I am Earilith. This girl here tells me that my whole set of silver-tipped arrows is missing, and my hunter's gloves as well!"

The manageress looked at the distraught girl. "Is that true, Alley?" she asked sternly. Trembling now, the poor girl nodded slowly, her head remained down.

"I can't find it anyway, Miss Lexia. It's not even in the Lost and Found aisle," came the soft reply.

Lexia sighed. This was the third time Alley did a mistake like this. But then, she was new after all. "Go and wash your face, Alley, I'll talk to you later. Beatrice, take her to the washroom, please," she instructed. The second Kapra lady nodded her head and beckoned for Alley to follow her out from the room. She closed the door behind her and shooed the curious novices that were still hanging around outside and scolded the tour guide for letting them hang around like that.

Lexia now turned towards the huntress. "I'm dreadfully sorry for the mix up, Miss Earilith. I'm afraid that Alley is still…naïve about her work," she apologized.

Earilith sighed, "Never mind. I know how that feels anyway. I'm not fully angry at her, I just want my arrows and gloves!"

The Kapra nodded her head understandingly. "Very well, give me a few minutes to find your items. Perhaps Alley did not check as thoroughly as she was told to. If not, Kapra's Headquarters hold full responsibility on the lost items and will refund them," she said. With that, she turned around and started checking around the nooks and crannies, muttering to herself as she checked each storage box thoroughly. Finally…

"Here it is!"

Earilith looked pleased. "Thanks! For a moment there I thought it was a goner for sure," she said gratefully as she took the items from Lexia. The lady smiled, "Not a problem. We aim to serve anyway."

The huntress nodded her head and went out from the storage room, stopping by the washroom to check on the young trainee she had yelled on back then. She felt ashamed of herself for losing control that way. "What is wrong with me, anyway? I don't usually fly into deep ends over things like this," she muttered to herself.

She poked her head in and found Alley sitting disconsolately by the washbasin. The huntress entered the washroom, startling the young Kapra slightly. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked gently.

Alley looked at Earilith, and turned away. "I'm sorry about just now. I keep doing those mistakes," came the muffled reply.

"Aw come on, cheer up! Everyone makes mistakes anyway. Don't worry, I'm not mad or whatsoever," the huntress said cheerfully, patting her shoulder understandingly.

The young girl looked up tearfully but her face shone with tentative hope. "Really?" she whispered. Earilith nodded her head and gave her a sweet to calm her nerves. Alley accepted it gratefully, popping the red candy into her mouth.

"Hey, everyone makes mistakes, even me. We all learn from what we did wrong anyway. Don't feel so bad about one mistake like this. Believe me, I've done far worse things than misplacing a few arrows," Earilith said consolingly.

"You did?"

"Yeah, and believe me, it was hard to handle the consequences later on," she grimaced as she remembered that particular incident. "Anyway, the point is, don't let today be a block to your dreams and hopes. Accept it as a challenge to do better, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Atta girl, Alley! Now, dry up your tears and go do your thing! I believe there isn't anyone handling the ins and outs of the storage room right now," Earilith said, her eyes twinkling.

Alley nodded her head and shyly said her thanks. She left the washroom and headed straight for her duty area, her head high and determined. Earilith watched her go and sighed.

"She reminds me of Lyss…" she muttered. "And speaking about her, I wonder where is she," she mused to herself, "I thought we were supposed to meet up here. Or did she forget?" She walked slowly towards the exit as her thought wandered around the alchemist.

Suddenly, she bumped onto something hard right in front of her. "Oof," she grunted as she fell straight on the ground. A short burst of stars dazzled her vision as she sat undignified on the hard ground.

"Miss, are you all right?"

"Huh?" she asked bewilderedly, the annoying stars still clouding her sight. Dimly, she could see someone bending down to look at her. She guessed it was a man, considering the stranger's physique was too bulky to be a lady's.

"Just stay where you are, the shock will pass," the voice said kindly.

"I'm all right," she muttered as she felt her cheeks burning. To think she did not look where she was going. A huntress like her, falling down as though she was a dolt! She looked at the stranger, finally able to see that the person was a he, and he was an alchemist.

"Sorry about that, I didn't see where I was going," she said apologetically. She brushed off the dirt from her blouse and trousers.

"Ah, it's okay. Well, I'd better get going then. I need to meet Kapra fast," came the cheerful reply.

Earilith nodded and bid him goodbye. Then suddenly a thought occurred. "Hey wait!" she called out. The alchemist stopped and turned to look at her inquiringly. Earilith went to him and asked, "This might sound weird, but do you know Alyssa Quayshua? She is a friend of mine, and an alchemist as well. Dark hair till her waist, blue eyes, rings any bell?"

The stanger frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm, Alyssa, huh? Yeah, I know her. I think I saw her leaving the city of Juno a few days back. Something happened I should think, considering they were in a rush to leave that city," he said.

"Juno? What were they doing there anyway?" the startled huntress asked.

The alchemist shrugged and responded, "Beats me, but I think it had something to do with the havoc in Morroc the other day. You know about it?" At her shake of head he continued, "There was a huge fight between those people staying at the Morrocan Inn with some sort of undead creatures and spirits as well. I think it was the hauntings of Glast Heim anyway."

Earilith stared at him, dumbfounded. Fight? Glast Heim? What in the name of King Tristan was going on?

The alchemist cleared his throat slightly when she remained silent. "Well, I told you all I know. If you would excuse me, I have to be on my way. Good luck in your search for Alyssa!" he waved goodbye, leaving the huntress rooted on her spot.

Earilith barely heard him leave. Her mind was racing with a thousand possibilities of danger. What was happening to her friend? And the undead creatures in Morroc, what was that all about?

Your friend is in danger, Earilith Sensedriell, and you know it.

"Eh? Who said that?" wondered the startled huntress, as she looked left and right. No one was close enough to whisper anything in her ear. She stared blankly around as alchemists and knights walked past by her, looking at her curiously. Snapping out form her reverie, she quickly left the headquarters and hurriedly searched for an inn to stay.

"Howdy miss, what can I do for 'ya today?" greeted the bartender as she entered the Chilly Beery Inn. Earilith looked around her. It seemed safe enough. No hidden dangers or whatsoever here. She relaxed and smiled at the bartender in return.

"Have a free room, mister? I need a good night's rest," she asked politely.

The bartender nodded his head vigorously as he wiped a beer jug clean. They haggled for a while on the price of his lodgings. Finally satisfied, the bartender beckoned a young boy to escort Earilith to her room.

"This is your room, miss. The bathroom is located at the end of the corridor. If there is anything you wish, just ask," the boy said politely. Earilith smiled at the boy and, being generous as she was, tipped the boy handsomely. The young lad's eyes widened as he saw the amount of gold she had just gave him.

"Bu-ut, miss, I can't accept this. It is too much!" he stammered, stretching out his hand as he tried to give back the lavish tip. The huntress shook her head and said kindly, "Never mind about it, just use it for good purposes, okay? Who knows, perhaps this few gold coins I gave you could bring happiness to someone in your life."

The boy stared at her and smiled gratefully. "Well, thank you miss. This should help my ma to get well soon," he said, thanking her profusely again and again. Earilith grinned and gave him a few more gold coins, told him to spend them wisely, and shooed him out from her room.

"Phew," she muttered to herself as she leaned against the door, "I'm beat!" She placed her arbalest and her arrows on the coffee table nearby and plunked herself unceremoniously on the rather hard bed. She stared at the stained ceiling above, trying to recollect her thoughts as she thought about a certain alchemist she knew.

"Alyssa, Alyssa, why is it that you seem to get into trouble more than me?" she shook her head sadly as she wondered where was her friend now. Halfway in her dreams, she suddenly heard a soft knock on the door. Getting up, she went to the door and opened it. To her surprise, she saw an elegant lady standing at her doorway.

"Err, how can I help you, miss?" she asked awkwardly, wondering what would the lady want.

The lady snorted and said haughtily, "You can start helping by letting me in your room before anyone else sees me, girl!"

Earilith stiffened. As much as this lady was elegant, she was just about as rude as well. "Why should I?" she challenged, even though her heart was beating fast. She couldn't help feeling like she knew who that lady was. She had a pair or piercing blue eyes, delicately surrounded by perfect arch-shaped eyebrows followed by beautifully tipped nose and a proportionate rosebud mouth. Her hair was in a cascade of golden curls, all the way down to her waist. Her body is the type that was envied by ladies everywhere.

"Come on girl, I'm not here to stay and fight with you! And you and I both know that we have something in common, more common than you think," the golden-haired lady said rather snappishly.

Earilith continued to stare at her for a few more seconds before realization dawned. "Oh my gosh, you're Lady Artemis, the goddess!" she exclaimed in amazement.

"That's right, girl. Now are you going to let me in or are you going to broadcast my presence here to everyone?"

"Oh, right! Come right in, please."

Lady Artemis strode in, ignoring the huntress's outstretched hand and sat on a plump sofa nearby. She stared at the surroundings distastefully. Then she glanced at Earilith.

"Well? Are you going to sit down or what?" she demanded rather imperviously.

"Eh? Oh yeah, right."

Earilith went to her bed and sat there, all the while staring rather inquiringly at the goddess. "So why are you here, Lady Artemis?" she asked self-consciously. She wasn't sure what was the goddess doing searching for her in the first place, but she was sure dying of curiosity trying to figure out why.

"Trying to help you, that's what," came the sarcastic reply.

"Help me? Help me in what?"

Lady Artemis sighed impatiently and stood up, She went to a blank wall and waved her hand. Almost immediately, the coffee-stained wall disappeared and was replaced by a translucent view. Earilith yelped in surprise. The 'view' was moving and Alyssa was in it.

She stared at the moving picture the goddess had conjured up. Alyssa was talking to someone that looked like a lady warrior from the old age. She went closer to hear the conversation but could not hear anything.

"You can't hear anything, this is just a vision from the past. It seems that Athena had been doing some personal visits of her own," said the goddess cryptically.

"A-Athena? You mean that that lady there is actually Goddess Athena?"

Lady Artemis scowled at the huntress. "Well, duh! See anyone else there?" came the sarcastic retort.

Boy, for a goddess Lady Artemis was sure a grouch, though Earilith as she continued to watch the byplay between her friend and the goddess of war. Then she looked at the goddess in front of her.

"What exactly are you trying to tell me, goddess?" she asked slowly and carefully, "Is Alyssa in trouble?"

"She is already in trouble. Too much trouble if you ask me. Not to mention messy. Anyway, Athena is protecting her right now so you don't need to bother about her at the moment. It is you that I am here for."

Earilith looked taken aback. "Me?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah, you. Believe it or not, you are a good huntress. Sure, you act like a huge klutz once in a while, but your sharp sense of affinity attracts me. With my guidance, you can be one of the best huntress yet, and help your friend there at the same time. So what do you say, are you game?" the goddess looked at Earilith.

Earilith opened and closed her mouth a few times, the ability to speak was robbed from her. "Well?" asked the goddess impatiently, "I haven't got all day you know!"

The huntress finally unglued her tongue and stammered, "Err, yeah, of course! I would be glad to have your guidance, goddess!"

"Good, good. I knew you would come to your senses. Before we start on anything, let me get a few things straight with you. First and foremost, I will not, I repeat, I will not help you in any of your battles. That is all dependent on your strength, instinct and ability to adjust accordingly. And second, I will be around when you need me, but don't call me for silly stuff like what arrow is best for whatever monster. Got it?"

Earilith nodded. That seemed simple enough.

"Right, and the most important thing is, never tell anyone of my existence nor the fact that you are communicating with me. Kapish?"

Again, Earilith nodded. No help, no silly questions, and no blabbing, she thought to herself.

"Good. Now first, you gotta find your friend, fast."

"Duh, that's what I'm trying to do in the first place! But since they keep on moving here and there like a whirlwind, it's hard to pinpoint them down."

Lady Artemis leaned closer and said, "Now listen here, girl. You have good brains; I'll admit that at least. Anyway, this is one clue I can share with you. The last I heard, your friend and her friends were heading towards Glast Heim. So you better start packing and begin your journey."

Earilith gave a start. "Glast Heim? Why there?" she wondered aloud. Then she looked at the goddess. "Hang on a sec," she said slowly, "If they are heading towards Glast Heim, then…they have not reached yet, right? So where are they and how am I supposed to meet them?"

Lady Artemis looked at her approvingly. "So you can think. All right, I'll tell you where they are right now. But you must figure out the rest. They are leaving the city of knowledge at the moment, circling the mountains of Mjholnir. But if I'm not mistaken, the next city they would be at is…"

Something unexpected happened next. They both heard a loud rapping on the door. Startled, Earilith nearly jumped out from her skin. She stared for a few moments at the door and turned back to the goddess.

"Hey, where did she go?" she wondered aloud as she looked left and right. Lady Artemis was nowhere to be found. It was like she had disappeared into thin air. She quickly glanced at the wall, half expecting the picture to disappear as well. She was not disappointed at what she saw.

The knockings on the door increased. Sighing, she went to the door and asked, "Who is it?"

"Room service," came the short reply.

"Right," she muttered to herself as she opened the door. Pasting a smile on her face, she gestured the cleaning lady inside. Her mind was still on the goddess and her words. A sudden exclamation from the cleaning lady jolted her back into reality.

"What is it?" she asked in surprise.

"So sorry miss, I'm just amazed with those clothes. Why, they're beautiful!" the lady stammered.

"Huh? Where?" she looked around, wondering what clothes did the maid meant. Then she saw it. Draped carefully on her bed was a set of clothes; a new set of clothes she had never seen before.

Overcome with curiosity, she went closer for inspection. She bit back an exclamation as she lifted the garment and held it in front of her. The material was soft and fluid. It was garbed in dark sapphires beaded around the waist, giving a royal impression.

It was a huntress's clothing with a twist of elegance. The shorts, instead of coarse cotton, were made of something that felt suspiciously like silk, but is stronger than it. Like the top, it had the same crystals sewn onto it, only it is sewn sparingly at the bottom. The material is warm black, and silver linings decorated its sleeves and waistline for the shorts.

There was even a belt with it. She gently placed the clothes back on the bed and picked up the belt. It felt light and cool to touch. She gazed at it with awe. Never did she see such fine workmanship on a piece of belt. Made out of elunium, a type of steel that is well known for its strength and regal structure, the belt was inscribed with runes. On closer inspection, she noticed that those runes were ancient language that is used for protection. There were small unnoticeable hooks by the sides of the belt for her to clip on her odds and ends.

A little something to help you on your way, Earilith Sensedriel. Use it well.

Earilith gazed dreamily into space as she heard those words. Thank you, she thought. Then she noticed that the cleaning lady was still staring at her. Clearing her throat, she gave her a half-smile and said simply, "Birthday present from a friend."

The lady nodded again and again. Earilith cleared her throat again and gazed significantly around her. Snapping back into action, the lady blushed and continued to clean the room at top speed. The huntress waited for her to leave before gazing back at the clothes.

Rest now, you'll need your strength tomorrow.

"Right," she muttered, "I need to sleep!"