The sky appeared clear and blue amongst the gray mountains of Dun Lorieag. Amongst the open wind were many different kites tied down to the summits of the mountains that were spread amongst the low-laying clouds that hid away the world below. Amongst the mountainsides was the Root Town, connected by a web of wooden bridges and paths. At the southern end was a square stone platform surrounded by a small trench of water. Across the water, on each corner, stood tall, thick ten-foot-tall pillars. In the center of the large platform was the endlessly swinging chaos gate.
Leaning against one of the pillars near the path was Solange. Her staff was lying on the ground next to her feet. She was peering at the vacant sky above, her red eyes wandering through thoughts. Suddenly, a trio of golden rings revealed the robed Solo. He headed to the path when Solange picked up her staff and ran to hi, following.
"So you got the e-mail, too?" She asked. Solo nodded slightly.
"Yeah... But why here?" Solo slowed down, looking to the sides. Solange stopped and looked at him, confused. "Hm."
"What's wrong? You okay?"
"Behind us… Don't look." Solange turned her head back, almost looking. "They're Cerulean Knights... I think they know why we're here," Solo whispered as he slowly continued. Behind them, sure enough, was a group of silver-clad knights following from a distance. "We'll split up and log out. No need to risk more than we need to."
"What if they keep on following? And who would tell them about this?" Solange whispered back.
"They can't follow us for very long. It could be considered stalking. And I have an idea as to who exactly tipped them off." Solo turned left and stopped. He then looked back at Solange, speaking at a normal volume. "See you later." In seconds, Solo disappeared, logging out. Solange faced the gate. The knights were gone from their pursuit and the entire Root Town for that matter.
"It wasn't me... Maybe it was Solo?" Confused, Solange logged out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Zanzoo was sitting in the small storage space behind the shops, thinking back to what had happened just a few days ago between Seraph and she. As she looked into the water, a shadow loomed behind her.
"Excuse me." A voice spoke down to Zanzoo, making her look back and stand up. The shadow was made by a man wearing blue clothing and clad in silver armor, boots, and gauntlets.
"What do you want?" Zanzoo asked, knowing what exactly the man was: a Cerulean Knight. The knight stared at her with a cold look in his eyes.
"It has come to our attention that you are associated with the player Seraph," the knight replied. Zanzoo's eyes widened and she turned, looking down at the water. Waiting for a response, the knight added, "Are you affiliated with this player?" Zanzoo thought back to what Seraph had told her: "Don't e-mail me anymore. Keep your distance from me." She looked at the knight, a hint of annoyance flaring in her look. Her fist clenched around her scythe, which leaned forward at the knight incidentally.
"Why would I associate with such a self-centered, antisocial, egotistical son of a--!" The knight interrupted her, back away.
"Uhhh... A-all right... W-w-well, th-thank you for your time." The knight turned and ran off, screaming silently. Zanzoo lowered the scythe, sighing away her annoyance and returning to her spot, sitting back down. After some silence, she brought her knees up to her body and wrapped her arms around them.
"Why do I care..?" She lowered her head a bit. "But that day... He looked so sad and distant..." She laid her forehead on her knees. "What should I do?"
"No one can ever tell you the answer to that question." Only lifting her head, Zanzoo gasped as she heard the voice of Balmung, surprisingly. The tall knight walked toward the water and stopped next to Zanzoo, remaining on his feet. "I told you before... That if you needed someone to..." Zanzoo shook her head, staring into the water, looking at Balmung's reflection.
"I already told you. It won't work out because we just never... Got along." Zanzoo turned her head and looked at him. "Besides, you never told the truth about yourself. You're four years older than me and you failed to mention that even though I told you how old I was," Zanzoo added in, glaring into Balmung's cold eyes, hers filled with emotion. After a minute of silence, Balmung scoffed and turned around. Zanzoo looked back at the water.
"Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground." She looked back at Balmung as he said the area keywords. "That's where he is. You should go to him." He started walking off. "He is only three years younger than me." He kept on walking as he logged out. Zanzoo got up and walked towards the bridge, slowly gaining speed, half surprised and half overjoyed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I get the feeling... It was you." Seraph said to himself. He was inside the chapel at Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground, looking at the statue of the girl bound in chains. "Were you the one who saved me?" He looked down at his hand, the ring resting in his palm. It gleamed in the sunlight shining from the stained glass windows. "And you told me to use it... To save them." A small creak sounded from the back of the chapel. Seraph slid the ring into his pocket and swiftly, yet quietly, dashed into the shadows, hiding from view. The doors opened slowly, revealing a silhouette of a player. As the player stepped forward, moving closer to the altar, the details became clear and obvious. It was a Cerulean Knight observing the chapel. The knight stopped in front of the altar and turned his back to the shadows. Seraph ran out of the shadows and grabbed the knight's arms, holding them behind his back with his left hand, holding his sword up to the knight's throat with his right.
Seraph leaned his head forward, speaking in a higher-pitched, childish voice, "So, are you here for information or are you just a strong player?"
"Sora? Since when did you--?" The knight was cut short as Seraph ran the blade across his throat. He fell to the floor, fading out. Seraph put his sword away and sighed.
"How easily a knight can be duped. Sora has been in a coma for weeks," he commented in his normal voice. He headed to the large doorway as the knight disappeared. After stepping out of the church and stopping before the steps, he smiled and lowered his head. "He would have gotten in the way, little lady." He turned and was greeted by the persona of Helba before him, her arms at her sides.
"Indeed. You attract danger wherever you go now." Helba slowly moved closer to Seraph as he turned around. "However, your prowess in hacking allows you a great deal of security. Though..."
"It doesn't mean I'm completely safe, little lady." Helba laughed at what Seraph was calling her, though she was a bit taller than him.
"I've grown up since last we met."
"No doubt... But now the student has surpassed the master." Helba smiled at his comment.
"Only in your eyes, for the master has yet to show the real abilities."
"I only hope they never need to be used," Seraph scoffed and looked into the sky. "You could have blown your cover by posting on the message board. Hell, you pretty much toed the line. Why'd you do it, Helba?"
"In order to secure a meeting. You got the message, didn't you?"
"'Shinobi find the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings,'... But apparently so did a Cerulean knight, or the first part anyways." He looked around and sighed. "Not a very secure drop point."
"Sometimes you must sacrifice in order to gain. Besides, it gets interesting to make them think they have the mouse by the tail." Helba smiled, bowed to Seraph and gated out. He sighed and turned to the steps, looking at the emptiness beyond the stone walkway.
"Well... I guess it does," Seraph chuckled and gated out as well. After a short wait, Zanzoo looks from the church doors and walks towards the steps.
"Helba? But how does she know Seraph? And what did he mean by 'master'?" She stood there for a while, pondering on the subject, eventually shrugging and gating out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Solange was in Dun Lorieag yet again. She was lying down on a small grassy outcropping. Her wand was lying a few feet from her, the golden tip pointing at her. Her eyes were open, watching the clouds roll by, passing through the multitude of kites, a slight breeze changing there color every so often.
"'Where the sky is forever colored by a rainbow of silk'... This is the place, but what exactly would Seraph want with me?" She closed her eyes and sighed. As she opened them again, she saw Helba's face looking down on her. Solange, startled, sat up quickly and shook her head. She looked back and saw only a small scroll lying next to her wand. She got up and grabbed the scroll, opening it and reading it. After she closed it, the scroll disappeared and Solange backed up a bit, seeing it fade. She grabbed her staff, now acting very happy, and ran over to the chaos gate. "It must have a rare item! Maybe just like Seraph's item!" Stopping at the gate, she disappeared behind three golden rings, heading to the area.
"So she did notice." Balmung was leaning against a nearby pillar, out of view from anyone at the gate. "He has changed too much. It is such a brutal way to get a point across though." He lowered his head, closing his eyes. "No choice, I guess." He stood from his lean, looking at the sky, the prelude of a twilight gleaming in the west. He sighed, walking towards the chaos gate, and logged out.