AN: Ah, a late night (or perhaps early morning for some :'D) update. Hope you enjoy~

Chapter 3:

The sun had well and truly set as Lynus and his companions made their way through the security gates of the Sanctuary. The lights of all buildings were lit, illuminating the courtyard, and revealing two figures that stood within the threshold of the entrance. Azure and Hamza. More than likely had been waiting for their return.

Azure was the first to notice them. He turned to look down the courtyard, and his expression quickly turned into that of relief and happiness.

"Y-you're back!" he said as he raced over to Lynus, hugging him around the waist and pressing his face into his chest the second he was close enough. Lynus, of course, immediately returned the hug, knowing full well that his apprentice would have been more worried than usual.

Hamza chuckled at the younger medic's reaction as he, too, moved to greet them. "Did everything go well?"

"Yes, we found the young girl quickly," Jhon quickly answered before he paused, a contemplative expression on his face. "However, we did find something…curious."

Hamza immediately took note of the insinuation of Jhon's words; the smile dropped from his lips and he arched a questioning eyebrow. "I see." He half turned and motioned toward the opened entrance. "Let us speak inside, then."

Azure, too, seemed to have taken noticed and turned to look questioningly up at Lynus.

"Don't worry; everything went fine," Lynus immediately reassured as he gently nudged the young medic to step back so that they could all venture inside.

The dining hall was sparsely populated, but that was sure to change quickly. If the setting of tables in preparation of dinner was any indication. Situated at a table closet to where they entered sat a group of the new guildmates; mostly the guild leaders Drayce, Roxbury, Oracle and Lindis, along with Villard and Highland Count. They chatted comfortably, likely musing of what they were to expect once they, too, step foot upon the new lands outside the city.

Drayce was the first to notice them approach, perking up visibly as he did so. "Oh hey, welcome back."

Roxbury turned to look over them at well, smiling politely as he took note of their conditions, no doubt pleased to note that they had received no injury during their short journey. "We were curious of how your first mission went."

"Relatively easy, thankfully," Axel answered casually.

Oracle folded his hands into the sleeves of his robes. "You've been gone for a few hours."

Axel shrugged. "The reporting and paperwork are usually the most time-consuming aspect of search and rescue."

Hamza arched a questioningly eyebrow again, noting that they had reported to someone else before returning to him. Only on rare occasions did they do such a thing. "Care to give us a report?" he requested.

Having given numerous verbal reports before, Axel launched into a quick but detailed explanation of what had occurred. From their first steps out of the city and into the dense forests. To the meadow of flowers, to the unexpected monster attack. From their first contact with the missing to the reveal of another. Lynus and others added their own notes and observations here or there.

Then, finally, they revealed that curious something they had mentioned to Hamza earlier.

"That's when we discovered the opening leading into a labyrinth," Axel finished.

Drayce perked his head up as the others shared expressions of surprise. "What? Really?"

Axel nodded his head. "Yeah. It's definitely a labyrinth. A man-made one at that."

Oracle removed a hand from his robes to hold his chin in thought. "Intriguing. Though, I can't say I'm surprised. Does anyone else know?"

"Birgitta, the medic we were sent to find, Mueller and Princess Persephone, of course," Lynus answered. "Mueller wants to keep it a secret for now. And he wants us to be the first to explore it."

"Lynus had sensed something peculiar while we were there," Jhon revealed, motioning toward Lynus with a short wave of his hand. "That is also a reason why Mueller wishes for us to investigate first."

Oracle tilted his head to the side in interest. "Sensed?"

Lynus nodded his head as he unconsciously reached up to touch the purple diamond marking on his forehead. "It's hard to explain. Something is just telling me that we need to visit that particular place within the labyrinth."

Longing and yearning. As though someone wanted them there. Wanted to be found. Or…to find someone important.

"May I make a suggestion?" Villard suddenly asked, having remained silent throughout the report.

Axel arched an eyebrow at him. "Yeah?"

"I think this would be the perfect opportunity for the five leaders of the guild to work together," he announced with a sagely nod of his head.

"Ah, splendid idea!" Highland Count immediately replied, sounding quite enthusiastic. "Think of it as an initiation for the five guilds to work under one banner."

Hm, that was actually quite a reasonable suggestion. It was pure habit that they branch off into their own guilds. And since they were all living under one roof, it was imperative that they learn to work together.

What better place than a labyrinth?

"I don't mind," Roxbury replied after a moment of thought, a small but polite smile on his lips.

"Sure, sounds good," Drayce quickly echoed his own answer.

"I am interested to see how other guild leaders work," Oracle said as he folded his hands into the sleeves of his robes once more.

Lindis nodded his head in acceptance as well. "I'll volunteer."

Ah, good! Now, who from the Guardians…?

"Of course, Lynus will need to attend," Oracle stated. "And I assume Axel won't just let him go without him, hm?"

"Of course not," Axel immediately answered with a half-smile as he peered at the zodiac through one eye. "Besides, it's a joint leadership."

"I'm just a medic. So, essentially, I'll be a guest for this expedition," Lynus added with a smile of his own.

And hopefully his skills wouldn't be needed.

Though, he also hoped that whatever he sensed wasn't dangerous.

"Now, don't get pouty," Oracle unexpectedly chided lightly, his attention toward Tobyn and Jhon. "After we deal with this curiosity, anyone can head on in and have a look around."

Lynus turned to give the two blonds a reassuring smile. Having seen the labyrinth themselves, they were sure to be very interested in exploring it further. To be the first to do so. As they had done with the vast majority of the labyrinth in Lagaard.

Yet, what Villard suggested made sense. And, who knows, perhaps there were more labyrinths and mazes to be discovered. If so, they were sure to have a chance to explore new, unexplored lands themselves.

And, not to forget that Oracle's own guildmates were likely to be rather pouty, too. Not to mention the other guild leaders were needed to reassure their own guilds, especially if their guildmates were as protective as Lynus' own were toward him.

"Well, seems as though a plan has been set," Hamza said with a knowing smile. "Early tomorrow morning, I assume?"

Axel nodded. "The more daylight hours we have, the better."

"Before that, I think we'll need to work out our battle formation," Roxbury suggested.

"Sounds good," Drayce answered before he suddenly pivoted in his chair and pointed toward the doors leading to the kitchen. Just as he did so, the doors opened to reveal a surprisingly frazzled looking Flavio.

"But before all of that; food," Drayce continued with a smile. "I believe Flavio has managed to cook up something interesting."

Interesting?

Oh…oh, right. That large fish monster that Zeryn had dragged in.

"Dinner's ready…" Flavio announced rather tiredly.

Lynus couldn't help but frown and immediately made his way over to the seemingly exhausted survivalist. "You all right, Flavio?" he asked, his hand reached out to him.

Flavio continued to look haggard and tired, but waved a hand dismissively in front of him. "That was quite an experience."

Zeryn walked to Flavio's side and draped an arm around his neck and shoulders. His grin widened when Flavio just slumped forward in further defeat. "Get used to it, Flavie; I'll be sure to bring you all sorts of monsters to work with."

Flavio's eye twitched, his expression unchanging. "Joy…"

Um…perhaps Lynus would sleep better at night not knowing what happened in that kitchen.

… … … … …

It was just a little after sunrise as Lynus and his fellow guild leaders made their way from the flying city and into the still unknown forests and meadows of Lemuria. They left so early that morning that they had missed the breakfast rush. Of course, they weren't allowed to leave without having something to eat.

Flavio and Mahalah made sure of that.

Despite having found the labyrinth by accident, and having visited it only briefly during the evening, thanks to Tobyn's mapping skills and Axel ability to read said map, they were able to find their destination easily.

As they pushed through the foliage of dense brush and clinging vines, they found themselves standing before the gateway before a set of descending stairs.

They took a moment to visually inspect their surroundings. They had to move in quickly yesterday as they were in search of another. But today, they were on an investigation. They had time to thoroughly look and inspect any and every curiosity they encountered.

The labyrinth looked mildly different under the morning light. The soft illumination of sunrise shimmered through the rustling leaves of the canopy above, and glinted off the small dewdrops. The veins of blue within the stonework were not as vivid as they were previously, but still very noticeable and intriguing.

As Axel and the other guild leaders looked around, the latter in unapologetic awe, Lynus walked over to a stone pillar and carefully placed his hand upon it. The grey stones were cold against his palm, yet he felt…something.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was similar to what he felt when he inspected someone's chakra points. A pulse of energy. It was subtle, however. Very much so. If he hadn't had his vast experience with chakras, he wouldn't have noticed.

Very curious.

"There's a sense of reverence here," Roxbury commented.

His hands folded into his robes once more, Oracle nodded. "It does give off the feel of an ancient temple."

"It's quite beautiful," Drayce added.

Lindis continued to gaze at his surroundings silently before he turned his attention toward Axel. "Have you encountered any of the wild life?"

"Not here. Not yet," Axel answered as he motioned with his head toward the stairs. "But you can hear them scurrying about inside."

Hm? Lynus hadn't heard anything yesterday. Though, they were likely due to the fact that he was focusing upon keeping Birgitta calm.

"There's something written on this archway," Oracle suddenly announced.

Roxbury glanced up at the archway before turning back to Oracle. "What does it say?"

Oracle tilted his head back as his etheric wings manifested behind him. They were quite curious. They didn't take on the conventional perception of wings should look like. Not like the ones that Lynus himself had. They were of vibrant blue and pink, and folded around him.

They were quite beautiful.

Silently, Oracle used his wings to float upwards, toward the archway for a closer look. He brushed aside a few vines and moss, revealing more etchings with the stonework. "It says "The Archipelago of Treasures". Sounds interesting."

If the words were truthful, then perhaps they were alluding to what Lynus had sensed previously.

Roxbury turned to address everyone. "As tempting as it is to immediately want to explore every nook and cranny, I suggest we head straight for the location that gained Lynus' interest. It may have something to do with the history this labyrinth."

"Sounds good," Axel agreed as he pulled out the second map, this one dedicated to the paths within the labyrinth. "I'll take the lead."

Axel moved down the stairs with the two protectors close behind. Lynus was pushed to be in the middle of the clearly protective team, with Oracle and Lindis taking the rear.

They moved in relative silence, saved for their footsteps against the stone paths. They were accompanied by the usual sounds of nature; rustling of leaves from the gentle breeze and songbirds chirping in the morning light.

It was quite peaceful.

As they moved down a narrow pathway, Drayce quickened his pace slightly to reach Axel's side. "Can I have a look at the map?"

Axel nodded his head, comfortable that he knew where he was going as he casually handed the parchment toward the dragoon. "Here."

Drayce hitched his shield upon his back before he took hold of the map. He held it on his hands, studying it silently before he made a whistling sound, seemingly impressed. "Ah, who drew this?"

"Tobyn," Axel answered with a half grin. "He's out expert map-maker."

"He's good," Drayce commented and handed the map back to Axel. "He even made note of the topography."

"A bit of a cartographer, Drayce?" Oracle asked from the back, curiosity in his voice.

Drayce looked over his shoulder, grinned and jab his thumb toward himself. "Treasure Hunter. From a long line of them."

"Ah. Not much for maps, I'm afraid," Oracle idly commented as they paused in front of a set of doors. "I prefer to simply wander."

"And get lost?" Drayce asked, still grinning.

Oracle shrugged. "That's what Ariadne Threads are for."

As Axel pushed open the doors, the stones grinding against loudly in the otherwise quiet environment, Roxbury turned to face Drayce. "Treasure hunter, hm? I bet you have some interesting tales to tell."

Drayce unexpectedly flushed lightly as he scratched his cheek with his index finger. "A few. But I bet you guys have some tales of your own."

"Hm." Roxbury made a sound of agreement. But as they turned to step over the threshold and into a new area, Lynus noticed that Roxbury had winced and his hand unconsciously raised to touch his side. Where an old injury had recently healed.

"We'll have to share war stories sometime," Roxbury added, that polite smile returned to his lips.

No one else seemed to have noticed the softly haunted look on Roxbury's face, so Lynus remained silent. As fascinating and exciting as the world of exploration could be, it could also be painful. Dangerous. Deadly.

Hopefully, from where they were in the present, they could find some happy memories to dwell on and share.

As they approached the area where they had found Laika yesterday, Lynus unexpectedly shivered as a sensation, both familiar yet unfamiliar, raced down his spine. "Ah, I got that feeling again…" he murmured.

His words prompted everyone to come to a stop, in the middle of medium sized clearing.

Oracle tilted his head to the side and after a moment nodded his head sharply. "I feel something, too," he revealed.

Ah, good. So it wasn't just him.

"This is where we found Laika," Lynus explained. He glanced around him, his gaze quickly focusing in a northly direction. "And that feeling is coming from over there." He pointed. "Beyond that door."

Oracle was the first to move forward, toward the door. "Well, let's see what we can find."

Not allowing the zodiac to go on alone, everyone moved to follow. The doors that stood before them were the same as the ones they've encountered previously. Nothing new. Nothing unusual. Even the sound it made as he slowly drew open was the same.

But that feeling of longing grew stronger, prompting Lynus to idly touch the centre of his chest. Over his heart chakra.

"Your abilities are similar to those of Nitish's, I assume?" Roxbury asked, to which Lynus nodded his head in return. "Ah, then can I assume that it's not a negative feeling?"

Lynus smiled and nodded his head again. "Yes, I cannot sense any malice. Otherwise, I'd be far more worried and reluctant than I am."

Roxbury chuckled as they moved through another set of ancient doors. "Nitish has helped us more times than I can count, so it is reassuring to have an empath on this expedition." He suddenly paused, a contemplative expression on his face. "Though, I hope it's not draining for you."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to take care of everyone," Lynus returned before he laughed into his hand. "And I'm sure certain individuals will make sure I don't overwork myself."

Lynus suddenly shivered when he felt that etheric feeling again. He snapped his head forward, his eyes falling upon Oracle who was a few steps in front of him. He, too, had stiffened and paused in his steps.

Then, they simultaneously glanced to their left. To an enclave. A small path leading to a dead-end.

"Down here," Oracle said as he turned on his heel and marched toward the enclave.

Only to stop abruptly, harshly, his body tensing as though he had collided with something solid. He uttered a short noise of surprise and stumbled backwards a couple of steps.

"Are you all right?" Lynus immediately asked, reaching out to touch the zodiac on his arm.

"I'm fine," Oracle replied nonchalantly, even as he rubbed his hand over his face and nose.

"What happened?"

"Invisible wall."

Lynus blinked. "A what?"

Drayce perked up in realisation. "Oh, you mean an invisible barrier?"

Oracle shrugged, a slight redness appearing on his forehead. "Same thing."

"I've had my fair share of those," Drayce said as stepped forward to stand by Oracle.

He raised his hand and reached out in the air in front of him. Only for his hand to rest against something. It was as though there was a clear, clean pane of glass in front of them. Even sounding as such as Drayce pulled back his hand, only to rap his knuckles against the barrier.

He stepped back and held his chin in thought. "That means…there's a mana convertor around here somewhere."

Being the quiet one among the more talkative members, Lindis furrowed his brow in confusion. "Mana converter?"

"A device or altar or spell circle that is projecting the barrier," Drayce explained, indicating that he had indeed dealt with more than his fair share of invisible shields and barriers. "There's a reason for this barrier. We need to find it and meet the conditions to defuse it."

Axel folded his arms across his chest. "I take it this converter has to be nearby?"

"Right," Drayce grinned. "We just need to find it next."

"Perhaps it's that interesting something at your feet, Drayce," Lindis suddenly stated.

Drayce immediately dropped his gaze down to the ground near his feet. As did everyone else.

Within the grey and moss-covered stones that were the floor of the labyrinth was a peculiar piece of darken metal. Though, indeed out of place in regards to its surroundings, it was also covered in moss and fallen leaves. Had they not been looking; they may have missed it.

Lindis was very observant.

"Oh, there's a plaque here," Drayce said as he took a step back and dropped down to rest on one knee. "Something's written on it."

"Can you read it?" Roxbury questioned as everyone moved to stand around him, all curious and intrigued.

Drayce brushed aside some of the fallen leaves and moss. "Hm, "Secrets in the four corners". There are four indentations within the plaque. One for each corner. There's already one here."

Lynus couldn't help but look over Drayce shoulder. In the upper left-hand corner of the plaque was the symbol of a bat. It appeared to be made from smooth, shiny black stone. It was quite small. No bigger than a pendent of a necklace.

It was so…small.

"So, we'll need to find a further three bat-shaped objects to lower the barrier?" Oracle asked.

"Right." Drayce pushed himself back to his feet and once more took a hold of his own chin in a pondering stance. "I wonder if the inscription is also a clue where to find those bat tokens?"

They were lucky to have such an experienced treasure hunter within their team, but the tokens were so small. And the labyrinth so large. It may take them some time. Days even.

Never the one to stand around and do nothing, Axel was eager to get to work. "That's our best lead so far. Looks like we're mapping this entire place after all."

"We best hurry. Other explorers will be sure to trickle in soon," Lindis reminded.

Axel dropped his arms to his sides and sighed. "Right. Nothing stays secret for long in the world of adventurers."

"Lynus? Do you think it's possible for you to sense the tokens as well?" Oracle questioned.

That caught Lynus off guard. "Ah, well, I'm not sure. I haven't tried to search for objects before. I wouldn't know what to search for, honestly. I more used to searching for other people."

Roxbury placed a comforting hand on Lynus' shoulder. "Let's try searching the four corners first. If that fails, then we'll attempt other opinions."

"Sounds reasonable," Oracle agreed nonchalantly. "So, which direction first?"

Drayce thought about it for a moment. "Let's retrace our path to begin with. I have a better idea where the first token might be."