The pyramids of Morroc was said to be a big treasure chest filled with rare jewels and lost artifacts. Many adventurers have come to this place to seek and study this mysterious place. For some, it's a place for dangerous yet rewarding missions.

It was already pitch dark in Morroc. Most adventurers spend the night in the inns and hotels of Morroc to rest for the day. Almost everyone…

From the outside steps of the pyramid, a slim figure scanned the entrance of the pyramid. Assuring that it was alright, it lighted a torch and started making its way inside. Slowly, it moved deeper inside the pyramid.

"… I've been here before, but this place always gives me the creeps!" Cyrina muttered, as she felt the familiar cold feeling. She never really hated this place, but the eerie sensation of the pyramid is too much for her. With the torch in her hand, she slowly moved inside.

As she entered an empty room, she can't help but stop and admire, "No wonder those adventurers keep coming back…" she whispered as she examined the fine drawings painted on the walls. Suddenly, strange clattering sounds echoed in that room; it sounded like wood stacking one after another. She ran out of the room into the hallway, and then took out her stiletto. She stopped at her feet and prepared. Still holding the torch, she scanned the whole area around her. Then, as if a voice was telling her, she looked down at her feet and saw a pile of bones, some she accidentally crushed. Startled, she stepped back into the wall. She then held her torch high and looked at the whole area that was lighted. As she did, she became more jumpy; for the whole place was full of skeletons scattered around! She swallowed the lump inside her throat and tightened the grasp on her weapon. Using the wall as a guide, she slowly moved, trying not to crush the other bones around. From the previous room, she once more heard the strange clattering noise, as if it was coming closer. As she looked down, she noticed a bone rattle a bit. Then, all the other bones started rattling. "Shoot!" she started running to the exit, only to find herself into more trouble…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Do you remember anything? Anything at all?"

"…"

"She wouldn't talk. Everyone here tried talking to her, but she couldn't even break a smile."

"I see… here…"

"Eh? You paid me already. What's this for?"

"For taking care of her. We must go."

"Are you going to take her with you? I thought…"

"I think this is best…and besides…"

"Besides?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Besides what? Hey look, she's coming around!" a young man's voice rang.

"Really? Hmm… took her a while," another voice, a female one.

Cyrina slowly opened her eyes, squinting from the light from outside the window. She then focused her vision on the person beside her. As her vision finally clears, there she saw them: a young man, maybe 15 or 16 years old, and dressed in tights – a suit archers usually wear; and a priestess, probably two years older than her archer companion, and has white locks tied up in a ponytail. She then looked up, and then scanned her surrounding. "The inn? But how…?"

The priestess smiled, "You're lucky we were still around when you were attacked. I would pressume you were there for a suicide mission, eh?"

Cyrina looked up into the ceiling, "Oh… now I remember…"

"Oh shoot!" Cyrina muttered as the bones started assembling by themselves. She knows what this means: trouble. She tried to run to the exit, but there stood more trouble - soldier skeletons that were already mobbing and ready to attack. Cyrina gritted her teeth, "I never thought they'd gather up here…" She has no other choice; she attacked the first group of the skeletons moving towards her. "Get them before they get you!" She kept slashing, making her way out of the mob. As the mob cleared a little, she ran to the nearest corner and hid. The skeletons couldn't find her, so they made their way back. As the last of them disappeared into the darkness, Cyrina revealed herself and sighed. She was temporarily out of danger. "Now to find the other exit…"

The pyramid was a giant maze – a labyrinth where a wrong turn may be fatal. It was her second time going inside this maze, so navigating was fairly easy. Yet because of the soldier skeletons that were awaken, she had difficulty reaching the exit. She hid as a group of soldier skeletons passed. She silently sneaked away, avoiding the monsters as much as possible. As she found the exit to be safe, she made a run to it. She then felt something weird around her. As a cold breeze wafted her short hair, she quickly jumped away, evading a rusty sword which was supposed to pierce her back. She glanced behind her and saw the skeletons approaching, more violent and enraged. She made her fighting stance and prepared herself. The soldier skeletons attacked, one after another. "Take this!" she cried as she stabbed and slashed her foes. As her enemies attacked, she dodged, followed by a quick counterattack, reducing them into bones. But as she slowly diminishes her foes, more of them started appearing fast. Cyrina was already losing her strength, but the skeletons are still increasing in numbers. The soldier skeletons then started attacking once again. Cyrina ran away, dodging the swords and daggers flying. As she was nearing the exit, an arrow flies, hitting right where the stab Artemis made before. She falls as her balance losses. She pulled the arrow on her leg and glanced at the mob approaching. There she found among the soldiers skeletons a group of archer skeletons, already aiming towards her. She tried running away, but the arrows were too quick to evade. She slumped feebly on the cold floor, as her strength finally gave up. She looked up and saw one of the soldier skeletons ready to give the final attack. Cyrina closed her eyes as she prepared herself for that time…

"STOP!"

Out of nowhere, two silver arrows hit the skeleton straight on its head. The mob glanced at where the arrows came from. Cyrina opened her eyes and saw a figure standing not far from her. The skeletons started moving towards the other figure. She tried moving, but was unsuccessful because of her wounds. "Foolish…" she thought. He would never survive a mob this big.

A voice rang throughout the maze. Cyrina felt lightheaded as she heard that voice, almost like praying. And in a moment, a bright light emanated, wiping out a quarter of the mob. A shower of arrows followed, hitting some of the skeletons surrounding Cyrina. That figure then ran to Cyrina, quickly carrying her out of the mob. Cyrina was still unable to focus because of her weakness. As they were fleeing, she heard the same voice that was praying, and a bright light then covered the whole place…

"And then I fainted there…" Cyrina thought as she flashbacked on that event. She looked at the figures standing beside her. "You two… saved me, right?"

"That was really reckless, if you ask me," the young fellow commented.

Cyrina slowly sat up, ignoring the pain crawling on her arm. She then looked down, and out of the window, "… you should have left me to die than sacrificing yourselves to save me…"

She felt the archer smile, "At least you're alive to complain, and that's what counts."

"Hmp…" Cyrina snubbed, clutching the blanket.

"Well, now that you're awake, I better get some food for you," the priestess then turned back. She suddenly paused, "Oh, my bad. My name is Lucilla Felle from Payon. And that fellow is Brice Ceal," she said as he pointed at the archer beside Cyrina.

"Nice to meet you, uhh..."

"…they call me Cyrina"she said, still looking out of the window.

"Well then, I better get you a good breakfast to get you back on your feet. We don't want bums, do we?" Lucilla chuckled as she left the room.

Brice pulled a chair and sat down beside Cyrina. She glanced a moment at Brice, and quickly turned her face away.

"S-Say… how long have I been bedridden?"

Brice was surprised; yet, he looked up and thought for a second, "Well, probably about two days now. You've been asleep the whole time because of the wounds you got."

"Oh..." Cyrina stared at her blanket and sighed; she was not able to meet with her master Artemis. Brice immediately noticed this, "If you want something, you can tell me. Your foot isn't in the condition to move around that much." She then felt her foot ache for a moment. "Oh yeah… I was shot right here…" she thought as she remembers the monster that shot her leg. It doesn't hurt anymore, yet the memory makes it sore. She lay back, staring blankly at the sky.

-o-o-

"I must say… you're thinking quite recklessly these days." Lucilla said as she kept a piece of paper on her pocket.

The hooded person looked away. "I must be on my way. I'm sorry to burden you this much."

Lucilla shook her head, "Nay, it is no trouble. But… will you be alright? I mean… traveling there will be hard, especially now that…"

"The roads ahead of me are nothing. But I'm more concerned with her. She will have to leave soon, and I know she'll see him. If she does…"

"…Yes. I understand."

The stranger then bowed at Lucilla, and hurriedly left. Lucilla could only look as that person slowly disappearing in the desert. She quietly sighed, and proceeded to the inn.

-o-o-

Cyrina has just finished with her last spoonful of soup. She quietly put away the bowl on the table beside her bed and looked out of the window once again. She then noticed the clouds starting to form above. "...I guess rain will pour tomorrow," she thought, staring constantly above the heavens, wondering how strong the rain will be. Just then, a knock on the door snapped her back.

"Are you awake?"

"...Y-Yeah..."

The door opened, revealing the priestess. She sat down beside Cyrina, and there she noticed the dark clouds. "Oh... rain is coming, eh?"

"Yeah... quite a sight in a place like this," Cyrina whispered.

Lucilla then took out a paper from her pocket and gave it to Cyrina. Though reluctant, she accepted it. "A friend gave it to me. She left for a long journey, and only she knows when she'll return. As Cyrina heard the word "journey", she quickly opened the folded paper and read the contents. "...I see..." she held the paper to her chest as she felt a strange ache twisting within. Lucilla looked out once again; it was too much, she thought. She looked again at Cyrina, and this time she smiled, "You mustn't worry too much, you know... whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be just fine."

Cyrina could only look down; her vision was starting to blur again. "...I don't care. If she has to leave, then let her do so... like it mattered anyway..."

The priestess' smile died. "I see... get some rest now, alright?" Lucilla stood up and exited the room. Cyrina was left, almost in the brink of crying. She then bit her lip and punched her chest in dismay. Silence reigned in the room for a while. As she looked up once again, her eyes were now full of ire, the tears now afraid to fall, "In a week... I'll meet her once again.When that time comes...I have to ask her... I just have to..."