Summers in Lemuria were always green, the air thick with heat and suffocating moisture, making every adventurer smell like sweat and body odor. But the Petal Bridge dungeon seemed to be trapped in an eternal spring. No cherry blossom ever withered, nor did the trees ever shed their leaves, even in the fall and winter. Sure, monsters lived in it like they did everywhere else, but they usually left people alone unless someone went after them first. A peaceful pink dreamland, an eternal eden, with the only sound being the hush of wind whispering through the petals.
That was what Juniper absolutely loved about this place.
The turquoise haired runemaster had visited this dungeon many times since she came to this continent from Maginia, the flying city. The first time, it was to look for a lost adventurer, so she barely had time to sit down and take a moment to let its sheer beauty soak into her being. At that time, her whole being was rigid with tension. No matter how many times she stretched her limbs out or psyched herself up, the tension in her body didn't seem to want to go away. Monsters were on the prowl, and she knew she'd be helpless against them all by herself.
"Ugh...I don't know if I can do this…" Juniper clutched her stave in her hands as she trekked across the red bridges. Leaves floated on the water, tiny boats with no passengers, sailing smoothly. A pang of envy shot through her. She wished she could be one of those people who could just sail through life perfectly. Those perfect people who did everything right, were loved by everyone, and never screwed up at all.
Everything Juniper was sure she'd never be no matter how hard she tried.
A swath of blue suddenly soared over her, sending wind rushing behind her. Juniper yelped as the gust nearly lifted her off the ground. The culprit was a blue raven that perched right in front of her, its beak as long as her forearm, black eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, and pink talons tipped with sharp, black claws that could easily tear skin open.
Juniper froze. If she moved even a little bit, the raven would surely eat her up. She was sure if she tried to engage with the bird in any way, she'd be fighting a losing battle. Then again, it wouldn't be the first battle she lost. Even monsters rookie adventurers would have no problem with, like skunks or air wolves, always found some way to screw her over no matter what spells she used on them. Don't engage, she told herself. Don't engage, just sneak past it. Juniper slowly inched her way past the raven. If she didn't try to fight it, look at it, or make any sudden moves, it would just ignore her and go on its merry way. Any adventurer worth their salt knew to avoid unnecessary battles, right?
Unfortunately, the raven had other ideas. It let out a shrill squawk before flying towards Juniper, its talons out and ready to slice.
"Yeeek! Fireball Rune!" The crystal on Juniper's stave glowed red as it fired a sphere of flames. The raven flew to the side to evade it, getting in close enough to peck at Juniper's head. Hardness cut through her skin, and Juniper swung her stave every which way in a futile attempt to make it back off. Nothing worked. "Ice Lance Rune!" She fired a giant icicle in the raven's direction, but again, the bird flew downward, avoiding the attack.
Seizing the opening, Juniper sprinted across the bridge, her short legs carrying her as fast as they could. But the raven wouldn't give up. With another howl, the raven flew towards the runemaster, its talons gripping parts of her turquoise curls. Juniper's hair was nearly pulled off of her head, and the raven, despite being in the air, held firm, so much so that the runemaster was unable to run further. The raven had her in its grip. Even firing a lightning spell did nothing to make it loosen its grip on her.
Juniper screamed and let her limbs fly everywhere, uncontrolled. She didn't want to be bird food, but nothing she did was working. This raven just wouldn't give up. What was she even supposed to do at this point? What could she do? It was yet another question in the long, expanding list of questions she had no answer for, and even if she did have an answer, knowing it and putting it into practice were two different things.
Just give up. You're too weak to be an adventurer.
Why do you even bother? You're never gonna get to our level.
How the hell can you get these spells wrong?! These are easy! Stupidly easy! Are you even trying?!
I do NOT want that idiot in our guild! She's just gonna drag us down! I don't wanna spend my whole adventuring career babysitting her! No way in hell!
Are you ever going to get these right?! You can't even hit a monster! Ugh, I can't stand you!
Quit your whining! Why don't you ever do stuff on your own?! Oh, that's right, you can't do anything right!
No matter how hard you practice, you'll never get the hang of it. You'll always be just a useless freak.
Voices sneered and degraded her from every corner of her mind, each one louder than the last. She threw her stave around, trying to bash the raven's head, but it kept pecking at her, tearing at her clothes, ripping her hat, sending pain through her body. Were they right? Would she always be little more than a deadweight runemaster who would never do anything right? Every guild she attempted to join rejected her on account of her inability to cast spells properly. It was a wonder she even managed to survive as long as she did out in Lemuria.
Maybe it would be better if-
"Hey! Over here!"
What? Juniper looked past the raven. A young man clad in thick armor called out to the raven, who turned its head around to get a better look. Finally, the bird's attention was off of her! She wasted no time running away, hiding behind a nearby rock to take cover. The man let out a yell as he unsheathed his sword, charging at the bird with no hesitation, his violet cape flowing behind him with every movement he made. Juniper peeked past the rock, watching as the man's sword made a clean slice across the bird's torso. Blood spilled out from the fresh cavity, and the bird shrieked as it backed away in an attempt to escape. The man prevented this by reaching out to grab the bird's talon with one hand. Similarly to how the bird had Juniper's hair, the man's strong grip and firm stance prevented the bird from escaping. No matter how much or hard it flapped its wings, the bird was trapped.
"Olivia! Finish it off!" The man shouted.
"You got it!" Then, another person came sprinting onto the scene, a young woman about her own age-fourteen or fifteen, maybe?-with short, orange hair arranged in a boyish style. The woman's white lab coat fluttered as she pulled out a spiked mace and struck the bird right on the head. A beat of silence, and then the bird fell to the ground with a weak thud, the man's grip loosening as he watched it collapse.
Was it over? The blue raven didn't move an inch. Juniper slowly crept out from behind the rock as her rescuers kneeled down to examine their kill. Who were these people? She had never seen them before. Were they adventurers just like her? So many questions swam around in her head. The orange haired medic turned around, meeting Juniper's eyes. The runemaster squeaked and froze in place. She wasn't angry at her, was she? Juniper couldn't bear the thought of having made these adventurers angry.
"Are you okay?" The medic-Olivia-asked in a soft voice, standing up and walking over to her. She noticed some bloody spots on Juniper's hair. "Looks like that bird got you good. I can take care of those, if you want."
Only now did the pain from the bird's constant pecking finally overwhelm her. All Juniper could respond with was a nod, and the young medic wasted no time tending to Juniper's wounds. She got a better look at the swordsman, studying him intensely-platinum armor, copper skin, spiky silver hair, and turquoise eyes the same color as her hair. The man had finished carving the meat out from the bird's innards and plucked any feathers that hadn't been stained with blood. Upon stealing a glance at Juniper, he flashed a warm smile and approached her, kneeling down once he got close.
"Hey there. You were in quite a bind just now," The man told her, his voice soft and warm, a low tenor, but still had a touch of youthfulness to it. "Glad we got to you in time."
Juniper's cheeks flushed red under his sympathetic gaze. She wasn't sure if she deserved their kindness.
"Where's your guild?" He asked.
Guild? Juniper kept her eyes on his armor. Every adventurer was part of a guild unless they wanted to go solo, though it was considered safer to travel in a group.
"I didn't see anyone else with you," Olivia said as she dabbed some water on some bloody spots on Juniper's head.
What point was there in hiding the truth? Juniper's eyes watered when she admitted in a meek voice, "...I'm not in a guild."
Olivia and her guildmate exchanged perplexed expressions.
"I tried to join a bunch of guilds...but nobody wanted me," Juniper confessed, voice breaking. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach.
"I'm sure you already know this, but it's dangerous to go into a dungeon unprepared," The knightly man advised. "That raven could have killed you easily."
Juniper buried her face in her hands. "I know. I came here to practice my magic and see if I could get stronger…" The reality of the incident finally sunk in, and she broke into a fit of pitiful crying. "But now I know for sure I'm useless, and I always will be! I try and try and try and practice my magic all the time, but it's never good enough, and everybody knows it! No guild even wants me because they know I'm just gonna drag them down with how useless I am! I can't cast my spells right, I can't fight, I can't defend myself, all I do is make people mad! You're probably mad at me right now for getting in the way of your mission! And I don't blame you for being so! I'd be mad at me too!"
For all she knew, this nice man and Olivia were probably angry right now. Why should they have to waste their valuable adventuring time saving some girl from a fight she should have been able to handle herself? Wasting their important medical items on her injuries? They had better things to do. That was how it always was. Whenever she messed up or was in danger, every rescue always came with a scolding or some lecture on how useless she was, how she was little more than deadweight, how she could never do anything exactly right. Juniper wanted to disappear, and she hated hating herself every day.
"I'm sorry I made you waste your time…"
"No you didn't," The man put a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Huh?"
"Yeah!" Olivia chimed in. "We saved you because we wanted to, and it'd be cruel to just throw you to the wolves like that!"
Was she seeing things? She didn't see frowns on their faces. Instead, they were smiling. This was odd. Why weren't they scolding her or yelling at her? "You're not...mad at me? I didn't ruin your mission?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "What, were you expecting us to yell at you or be mad at you the second we saw you?"
Sheepishly, Juniper nodded. "That's how it always is with me."
The spiky haired man pulled the girl close, his armor cool to the touch. Juniper could see swirls of gold in his chestplate. "Well, I can promise you we're not like that. I don't know who's been telling you all that stuff, but it's not right. Whether you're good at magic or not, you don't deserve to feel that way or be treated like that."
Did she? Juniper wasn't sure about that. But his hand and arm were strong against his back, and she liked how cool his armor was against the fabric of her coat.
"Hey, Atticus," Olivia poked Atticus's shoulder. "How about we invite her to join our guild?"
Join? Their guild? Juniper's ears perked up.
"Me? Oh no, I couldn't!" Juniper broke from Atticus's grasp. "I'd just drag you all down! I mess up my magic all the time, and I know all I'd do is make you all mad and miserable and just be an inconvenience! I'd probably wind up hurting you with how often my spells go out of control!"
Atticus, the knight, shot a solemn glance in the runemaster's direction. "But seeing as you're not part of a guild, you're at risk of getting killed the second you go into a dungeon. I saved you just now, but there's no guarantee you'll live if you get attacked by a monster again."
Good points.
But just as quickly, a smile returned to his face. "Would you like to join us? We wouldn't mind a bit. Besides, what's one more member?"
"Yeah!" Olivia stuck her hand up in the air, her voice bouncing with cheer. "And I know some other runemasters who could help you with your magic. I know for a fact that they'll never berate you or tear you down or write you off as useless. Trust me."
"Hey. Simmer down," Atticus warned. "This needs to be her decision."
Olivia ran a hand through her orange hair, sticking her tongue out in mock shame. "I know, I know."
Never before had Juniper ever been asked to join someone's guild. Usually she was the one asking to join. Now, here were these nice people, actually extending an olive branch to her. One part of her protested, claiming nothing would change. What right did she have to force herself on these nice people? More than she already has? As far as Juniper was concerned, she didn't deserve their kindness. For all she knew, they probably pitied her for being so useless. But the other part of her insisted she accept their offer. She wasn't going to get another chance like this again. If she let this opportunity slip through her fingers, she'd regret it forever. Juniper didn't want to be useless or weak. If joining them would help her get stronger in some way, then so be it.
Juniper decided to take that first step. "I don't know if I'll ever be an asset to your guild...but I would love to join you guys, if only to thank you for helping me."
Atticus held his hand out. "Welcome to our guild, uhh…" It only just now dawned on him that neither he nor Olivia asked her name.
"Juniper," She took his hand and gave it a shake.
That day, Atticus, Olivia, and several other guild members went into the Petal Bridge to find the lost adventurer, but the two of them turned back to do some foraging while their friends went on ahead. Good thing they did, or Juniper would have been bird food. Not long after that, she met the rest of the guild, and they all welcomed her with open arms, something Juniper didn't expect at all. She wasn't used to being showered with warmth and kindness. But she found herself stuck with them, and wouldn't have had it any other way.
The second time she went to the Petal Bridge, it was to do some training. True to her word, Olivia introduced her to another runemaster, an older magician named Rulon, who agreed to help her with her spellcasting. Unlike most other teachers she had, Rulon was patient, calm, and never made Juniper feel like everything she did was wrong. In fact, after a week of taking her on as a student, he found out what was wrong with how she cast her magic.
"Runes are dependent on their caster's emotions being under control," He told her one day. "If your mind is clear, your spells will do what you want them to do, but if you are burdened by constant worry and anxiety, the runes will internalize it, and the magic will act out in response. Based on what you've told me about your previous training, your magic is reacting to your self-hatred and your feelings of fear and worthlessness. I can only presume the people who belittled you and browbeat you constantly had an adverse effect on not just your mental state, but your ability to do magic as well."
Juniper did a double take, blinking once to see if it'd make sense the second time. For once, it did, and everything made much more sense. "Nobody told me about that!" She exclaimed without meaning to. All throughout her school years and magic training, not one person she knew had ever mentioned that emotions, environment, and one's mental state had an impact on one's usage of magic whatsoever. It wasn't even in any of the textbooks she read either. Then she remembered: When she practiced her magic alone, without anyone watching her or judging her, her spells did what she wanted them to do just fine. But with all eyes on her, the sneering frowns, the angry glares, the expectations that she was sure to fail no matter what pouring down on her like a deluge, her spells went haywire.
"In the early days, most magicians and runemasters figured this out on their own. But over time, they grew conceited and expected everyone else to know it without being told," Rulon continued on. "They considered anyone who didn't know that piece of information to be weak and cowardly. But in all honesty, I feel the act of hoarding such knowledge is a coward's move myself. Simply put, you happened to be in a toxic environment."
Understatement of the millennium, as far as Juniper was concerned. But now that she finally knew this vital piece of information, she decided it was high time to finally put her magic to work.
Weeks after that, Juniper refined her spellcasting. This time, her training and magic practice went much more smoothly. She asked the guild if they could do some more training at the Petal Bridge, since by that time, Juniper had found some safe, isolated spots in that dungeon where she felt she could train without distraction. Surprisingly for her, they all agreed. Once again, the trees were overloaded with pinky white clouds of blossoms, with nary a loose petal in sight, except for a few that floated on the still waters.
"Okay…" Juniper took a deep breath as she kept her eyes focused on a big rock that jutted out from the ground. A few feet behind her, Atticus, Olivia, and another guild member, a young therian survivalist named Gabriel, watched in anticipation.
"You can do it, Jun! We believe in you!" Olivia cheered.
"Remember to stay calm," Gabriel reminded her, pushing some hair out from behind his light brown animal ears. "Keep your eyes on your target."
"There's no shame if you get it wrong," Atticus told her reassuringly. "Just try again. You know we won't judge you."
Taking their advice to heart, Juniper held out her stave, the blue crystal at the tip already glowing. Now was the time to prove it once and for all, whether she could actually cast magic without having it go out of control in public. She pushed the demeaning voices from the past out of her mind, focusing instead on the encouragement her friends had given her for so long. She was in control. Her friends believed in her, and even if she got it wrong, they still had her back. It was now or never. The crystal changed from blue to red, and Juniper's eyes slammed open, with one thing in mind.
"Fireball Rune!"
Out from her stave came a sphere of fire that charged towards the rock, scorching it right at the top, leaving a large black mark. Juniper blinked again, wondering if this was a dream. It wasn't. She was sure the fire would hit a nearby tree and cause a forest fire. Or one of her friends, potentially hurting or killing them. Instead...it actually hit the target. No accidents, no yelling, no injuries, nothing. Was this real?
"Yay!" Olivia ran over to Juniper and slammed into her, wrapping her skinny arms around the runemaster while laughing merrily. "You did it! You really did it!"
"I...I did?"
"Hell yeah, you did. Nice job, kid!" Gabriel flashed a confident smile and a thumb's up.
It seemed like a dream. A cruel dream where she'd wake up and find out she was still the inept magician everyone laughed at. But she felt Olivia's warm arms on her shoulders. She saw her fire spell strike that rock. Atticus even walked over to give her a friendly pat on the head. "See? You're not useless, and you never have been."
Not useless…
Such heavenly words had never been spoken to her in her life, and all it took was leaving her hometown to come to Lemuria. Finding these precious people, who never once judged her or made her feel horrible about herself. Any words she tried to choke out dissolved into shaky sobs as she cried, tears of happiness streaming down her face as she finally felt proud for the first time in her life. Not even Olivia's hand stroking her back, Gabriel asking if she needed anything, or Atticus pulling the two of them into a hug was enough to put a stop to her crying, and they let her release her pent-up emotions and feelings in reassuring silence. This was all she had wanted all along.
Friends. People who loved her, and didn't treat her like a nuisance or a perpetual failure.
Juniper wished time would just stop. Sitting under the eternally blooming cherry blossoms, surrounded by people who truly cared for her, finally being proud of something she herself did...she didn't want this moment to end. Not for a minute longer.
She wasn't alone anymore.
After a good cry, Juniper finally calmed down. Olivia clasped her hands together and exclaimed, "Hey! How about we celebrate by having a little picnic here?"
"A picnic?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow. Then his ears twitched as the realization dawned on him. "Oh. Celebrating Juniper's spell going right. I get it."
Atticus smiled, liking the idea. "I don't see why not. Monsters don't come this way, and I made us plenty of food to go around. What do you think, Jun?"
A picnic? Juniper had seen people go out on picnics plenty of times, but never participated in any herself. Not with anyone outside her immediate family, at least. She had always wondered what doing that was like. Sitting on a blanket outside, underneath flower-clouded trees, eating home cooked food, chatting and laughing with friends. Now here was her chance to do so for the first time.
This time, Juniper didn't hesitate. She gave a big sniff and flashed a radiant smile. "I'd love to! Olivia says your cookies are great, Atticus!"
With that, the rest of the day went as great as Juniper hoped it would. She, Atticus, and Gabriel set everything up while Olivia went to invite the other members of the Zenith Guild to stop by if they wanted to. A picnic under flowering trees, with Atticus' homemade treats scented by the floral air, surrounded by people who were precious to her, and considered her precious to them...if Eden truly existed in this world, Juniper hoped this was it.
Petal Bridge was her Eden. The place where she could truly be herself. Her favorite place in the world.
The fifth time they visited the Petal Bridge, it wasn't to visit like before. Instead, the Zenith Guild had been sent on a mission to defeat a vicious harpy who had been killing adventurers left and right. Deep in the floral dungeon, she nested on trees that had been knocked down during thunderstorms. Harpys were common in the Petal Bridge, but many of them stayed away from people unless they were provoked. Harpuia, the sadistic avian queen who was said to rule the skies, killed unsuspecting explorers left and right, with little rhyme or reason. Many eyewitness accounts said she preferred to restrain her prey before eating them alive. It had taken many days to finally reach her stronghold, but when they arrived, the gargantuan harpy swooped down from the heavens, her clawed black wings ready to slice them to ribbons, flaming hair streaming in the wind as she soared.
But the Zenith Guild was ready for her. They didn't spend months honing their skills and training for nothing. Every day, Juniper felt her confidence rising little by little with each training session. She still had her moments of weakness, moments where she would hate herself, or thinking she had messed up, but things were different. She had friends backing her up, and not once did they ever belittle her, call her names, or claim she would never be a good runemaster no matter how hard she tried. They treated her like she was worth something. More than that, Juniper was ready. Ready to finally show the world that she became the runemaster she always wanted to be.
The battle that ensued was perilous. Harpuia would always fly out of their attacking range, and when she would descend to the ground, her yellow talons were always out. The Zenith Guild couldn't risk getting too close lest they be cut to shreds. Luckily, Gabriel had his trusty crossbow with him. He fired arrow after arrow whenever she ascended into the air. Several of them managed to pierce through her wings, but not enough to render her unable to fly. Only one of them pierced her left shoulder, and the gargantuan harpy shrieked as the pain cut through her being.
"Dammit! She's tough as nails! I can't knock her out at this rate!" Gabriel cursed under his breath as he readied another set of arrows.
With another screech, the harpy descended once more, her avian form black against the sunlight. Juniper's breath hitched. She had studied up on harpys, and they didn't like thunder and lightning. With this knowledge in mind, Juniper closed her eyes and concentrated, the crystal on her stave glowing yellow. Fear wasn't far behind, but...somehow, she felt she would be okay. All would be well if she acted quickly. This was their chance to get justice for the fallen adventurers whose lives were taken too soon.
Grey clouds gathered, blocking out the sun. White lightning crackled across the sky. A giant chunk of ice shot out from Olivia's wand, striking Harpuia right in the eye. With a pained shriek, the harpy queen fell to the ground with a thunderous crash. In the space of a heartbeat, a woman with wavy blonde curls, draped in a thick, navy winter coat with white fur trims bounded out from behind Atticus, twin silver pistols in both hands.
"Ingrid! Bind her wings before she flies again!" Olivia called out.
"No need to tell me twice, Twinkle Toes!" Ingrid readied her pistols and pulled the triggers on both of them. "Arm Snipe!" Bullets flew, piercing the Harpuia's long black wings. When they made contact, golden strings of light sprouted out from them, coiling around the harpy, confining her wings and limbs. Proud laughter twisted Ingrid's face as she pointed her right pistol in the air. "Aww yeah! I got her good!"
Harpuia growled as she writhed in her magical bondage, halfway immobilized, moving her legs in an attempt to hoist herself up. Gabriel didn't give her a chance, as he shot two arrows into her furry red hind legs, preventing further movement. "Don't even think about it, bird brain!" Gabriel hissed.
It was now or never. Atticus knew it.
"Jun! Do it now!"
Juniper's eyes slammed open.
"Galvanic Rune!"
Her judgment had been correct. Thick, yellow bolts of lightning rained down from the heavens, illuminating the floral paradise, flashing as Harpuia was struck. The gargantuan harpy let out a pained howl as electricity surged through every vein and artery in her body. Light flashed before her burning eyes, and the ensuing thunder let out roars that echoed throughout the harpy's territory. Birds flew out from the trees in groups, their wings beating as they made their escape.
Atticus raised his sword as Juniper's spell faded. "Alright! Time to finish this!"
Harpuia could only stare, her monstrous jaw agape as Atticus roared, charging towards her, swinging his mighty blade with all his strength. Now that she couldn't fly, she was a sitting duck. With a great swing, Atticus made a clean slice through Harpuia's neck, a rain of blood spilling out over her bound wings. Some of it soaked Atticus' armor, but he paid it no heed at the moment. Ingrid's binds dissipated, and Harpuia attempted to stand up, as if unaware that her throat had been slashed. Juniper ducked behind Gabriel, avoiding the talons on her wings. The avian monster spread her bloodstained wings, scattering colorful feathers in the wind amongst the petals. With one last intake of breath, the light faded from her eyes, and she fell to the ground with a crash, completely and utterly dead.
Even a monster as free as she could not escape their blades.
"Did we...win…?" Gabriel huffed, catching his breath.
Atticus kneeled down to put two fingers on the base of her neck. No pulse. Blood pooled around her torso, staining her wings further.
Ingrid put her pistols in their holsters. "Are you kidding? He practically slit her throat! She's obviously dead! Just look at her!" She cajoled, pointing at the fallen creature with an enthusiastic grin. "Awww yeah! We knocked her dead!" The blonde gunslinger wasted no time cheering and jumping up and down like she had delivered the finishing blow instead of Atticus.
Their hearts swelled with the satisfaction of a job well done, but Juniper in particular was completely awestruck. She fell to her knees, not from the ghastly sight of the dead harpy, but from witnessing all the effort she put into her training finally bear fruit. Not once did her spells hurt her comrades or do something they shouldn't have, like set the forest on fire. They had completed a huge mission without any casualties on their end. Olivia and Gabriel high fived each other.
"Yay! We defeated Harpuia! Now she won't kill anyone anymore!" Olivia exclaimed, her hand vibrating from the strength of Gabriel's high five.
"Hell yeah, we did!" Gabriel agreed, grinning so wide, his cheeks started to hurt.
Juniper found herself too weak to stand up. This didn't seem real. But blood soaked armor entered her vision. She looked up to find Atticus kneeling down to her level. "You okay? Do you need anything, Jun?"
She shook her head. "No. I just...I can't believe...we actually beat her."
Atticus flashed an understanding smile in her direction. "You know we never could have won this battle without you."
What? Juniper was sure she was hearing things. He couldn't be serious! Juniper couldn't have been the sole reason they won. She stared at his exposed forehead with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"But Ingrid's binding bullets immobilized her."
"You knew Harpuia's weakness," Atticus reminded her. "Ingrid hasn't mastered using elemental bullets yet. Olivia's still trying to get the hang of using the stronger spells you've been teaching her. Everyone had a part to play in this battle. We all pooled our strengths into this, so we emerged victorious. If any one of you hadn't been here, many more lives would have been taken. You played your part, and you did a great job. You should be proud, Jun."
Proud…
Did she even have a right to be proud?
"Yeah, Jun!" Ingrid chimed in. "I may have immobilized her, but you electrocuted her so hard, she was sizzling like a Thanksgiving turkey! I wish I could do that!"
Everyone was smiling at her. Their eyes gleamed with pride. They were proud of her. Juniper's vision blurred, and she felt warm tears stream down her cheeks. But more than that, absolute joy began to overflow from her being like soda fizz. Unable to keep it in anymore, she gave a merry laugh as she ran over to Atticus, throwing herself on his armor to give him a hug. Her arms were too short to coil around his armor, so she was only able to hug his sides, but she didn't care one bit. Neither did he, as he proceeded to pick her up and spin her around, like a father would do with their child when playing. Everyone broke into cheers and laughter.
The mission was a complete success!
For the first time in a very long while, Juniper was proud of herself.
What would her life have been like had she not accepted Atticus' offer to join their guild? Or if he hadn't rescued her at all? She might have been stuck in the same place she had always been. Or dead, most likely.
But now, she knew it in her heart. She wasn't a perpetually inept mage. She was Juniper, the runemaster, a proud member of the Zenith Guild.
And she wouldn't have had it any other way.
Months after Harpuia's slaying, the Petal Bridge had become a much safer place. Sure, monsters still roamed around, but most adventurers knew not to mess with them unless absolutely necessary. One early spring afternoon, Juniper found herself walking across one of its many red bridges, amazed by the piles of pink petals that covered the stone walkways. She had to give this place credit, when spring arrived, the trees here really went all out in showing off their floral blooms.
It was no wonder she loved this place so much.
Basket in hand, she looked around for the spot the guild told her about. It had become a tradition to have celebratory picnics in the Petal Bridge, whether to celebrate the completion of a big mission, or something small one of the guild members managed to accomplish. This time, Juniper offered to do some cooking, having brought some of her best treats. Macarons and chocolate chip cookies, triangular sandwiches, octopus shaped sausages, tamagoyaki, and many other delectables she was sure everyone would fall head over heels over. The sky was a rich, pristine blue, with nary a cloud in sight, and the still waters seemed to glow under the high sunlight. Leftover rain from the other day still puddled in various parts of the stone streets, and some stray petals floated on top, like tiny boats.
"I wonder what everyone will think of my cookies?" Juniper asked herself out loud, remembering all of the cooking lessons she had with Atticus a while ago. She hoped they'd like them, but knowing her guild members, she was sure they would. She had eaten a few herself and liked them enough, but her tasting them and other people tasting them were two different things.
Lost in thought, she brushed a petal off her aqua green cloak, watching as it fluttered to her feet. But an odd sound pulled her from her reverie. Odd was it was, it was a sound she was all too familiar with: sniffling and low sobbing. Was someone else here? Juniper looked around the immediate area. She didn't see anyone, but when she stole a glance at a large tree, she saw a set of feet poking out from behind it. Brown boots and tall white socks.
Someone was there after all. Equal parts curious and worried, Juniper crept over to the tree, and the person gradually came into view. It was a young boy, a little younger than she, with messy red hair tucked underneath a green hat matching his oversized shirt. His baggy gray pants had some rips around the knees, and a pitchfork lay beside him. He had his fists in front of his face, but there was no mistaking the tear tracks on his cheeks.
"Hello," Juniper whispered.
"Wah!" Startled by the runemaster's greeting, the boy jumped, almost backing into another tree. But when he met Juniper's eyes, he took a moment to take in her presence before exhaling. "Sorry. I thought you were my teacher."
"It's okay. I'm sorry for scaring you. I heard you crying just now. Is...everything okay?" She asked politely, hoping she didn't cross any delicate boundaries.
The boy averted her gaze and looked down at his pitchfork. "Well...I recently started learning how to use runes and magic, even though I'm a farmer. I thought it'd be nice to learn some extra skills, y'know? To expand my repertoire in case anything bad happened. But…" His frown deepened. "I can't seem to get the spells just right, and even when I do, the teacher I wound up with is always criticizing me and yelling at me. I do everything she says, and it never feels like enough."
The more he talked about his experiences, both with spellcasting and his teacher, the more Juniper realized his experiences were exactly the same as hers. Only one question lingered in her mind. "Your teacher...would it happen to be someone named Ellis Couccoureaux?"
The farmer's jaw dropped. "Yeah! She's my teacher! How'd you know?"
"I had her for a while as well. Not gonna lie, she's awful," Juniper said without mincing words. "I used to be in your position as well. I would practice and train all the time, but nothing I did was ever good enough for her and the others. Constantly being criticized and belittled every day really took a toll on my confidence and mental health, so I decided to leave. In fact, I was so bad at using runes that whenever I attempted to join other guilds, nobody wanted me. Everyone thought I was just a useless idiot."
"Whoa…" The farmer couldn't believe what he was hearing. Someone else had been in the same position as he was in right now.
But the way Juniper saw it, this scared, frightened boy was suffering the same way she did. She received help and blossomed under it. No way was she going to abandon someone else in need. She knew what it was like to be constantly put down and treated like a failure just because she couldn't do something perfectly on the first try. This boy deserved so much better than what he was currently going through.
"If you want, I can teach you how to use rune magic if you want. I also know tons of people who could help out as well," Juniper suggested.
After a short beat of silence, the boy smiled. "Sure. I'd love that."
"I'm Juniper, by the way."
"My name's Seth."
"Hey, Juuuun!"
Juniper whirled around to find her guildmates about ten feet away, waving at her from the other side of the bridge. Atticus, with his sword at his side, basket in hand, standing tall like a true hero. Olivia the medic jumping up and down, waving both arms like she was convinced Juniper wouldn't see them. Gabriel the rover, arms crossed with a pleased smile on his face. Ingrid the gunslinger, with her hands on her hips, and an impatient look twisting her features.
"Hey, slowpoke! You gonna join us or what?" Ingrid exclaimed. "We're dying from starvation here!"
"Come on, Ingrid. Don't be so impatient," Gabriel warned.
Without hesitation, Juniper took Seth's hand and the two of them ran over to the group. "Coming!" She cheered as she joined them.
In that moment, she realized this was the place where every good significant event happened to her. Being saved by Atticus and Olivia. Joining their guild when she was at a particularly low point in her life. Spending weeks upon weeks training and practicing her magic alongside Rulon and her guildmates. Finally managing to cast a spell just right. Many parties and picnics where she and her friends made merry and had fun. All the pleasant strolls she and her friends went on when the days were particularly nice. Slaying the Harpuia, making the dungeon just a little safer for adventurers everywhere. And now, her chance to help someone else, and maybe make their life just a little brighter. Sure, the Petal Bridge and being part of the Zenith Guild didn't solve all of her problems, nor could it ever erase the scars she still had in her heart, but for now, just being in this wonderful place with her friends was enough.
She wouldn't have had it any other way. She wasn't alone anymore.
Cherry blossoms unfurled in the newly awakening landscape, heralding a new spring, and a new chapter in Juniper's life.
A/N: Hello! So...this is my first fic for Etrian Odyssey, and this one in particular takes place during Nexus (Though I threw in references to 4 and 5, what with there being runemasters and rovers in it). I only just got into the series this year because a friend of mine recommended it to me, and since COVID is kinda ruining everything for everyone all over the world, I thought why not? Thanks for getting me into the series, System Error!
For anyone who's curious, Atticus is a Hero (the palette swapped version), Olivia is a Medic, Gabriel is a Rover, Ingrid is a Gunner, and Juniper is the light blue haired Runemaster in the green coat who's featured in a lot of promotional material for the series. Seth is a Farmer, but I gave him an original design not based on any of the existing farmer portraits. I hadn't intended to write a story like this, but a forum I visit on this site was holding a prompt idea challenge about writing about someone's favorite special place. I missed the deadline, but the knowledge made this idea come to life and I felt compelled to write it. So you can say this was inspired by the Writers Anonymous' Special Places Challenge. I hope you all like this stupid little ditty I wrote, and if not, that's okay too!