Christopher
Passing through the gate, I'm immediately bewildered by the trees that have golden colored leaves. Everything looks as if a millionaire had just painted it with their fortune. I pluck a golden apple from a tree before biting into it without hesitation...The juiciness is unreal! I wonder if I'd be able to bring some of these home?
"If you think you'd be able to those back out the gate, you'd need permission from the council in the Shrine of Magic." comes the voice of Noelia inside my head.
Oh. That answers that question then. I keep walking into the thick golden foliage until I reach a large mountain, and Noelia beckons me towards an opening ahead. I'm guessing that's the path to the Shrine of Magic.
The tunnel is dark, so I quickly look around for a dry stick. Grabbing one off the cold stone floor, I cast a fire spell on it, and it illuminates the darkness. Drawing Scarlet Nightmare, I proceed cautiously while Noelia talks to me again.
"I'll come out in spirit form once we get to the shrine council." I nod in agreement while continuing to creep down the passageway. Urk, the air's getting thinner in here. I'll manage, but I'll probably need a few deep breaths when an opportunity presents itself. The torch I made won't last long either...Oh! I see a blue light up ahead. Moving forward, I drop my torch before squeezing into the narrow entranceway.
Woah. Instead of a traditional shrine within a cave, it's a bunch of magical rune stones around a small circular stone table. Only after taking a few more steps, they come to life and multiple spirits surround me now.
"Who is this man...oh wait. I sense someone within him….Noelia, you're back." one of the spirits says, and Noelia pops out in spirit form as well to respond.
"Hello Dad. Meet Chris, he freed me from the Phantom Region. Pyra is gone though. Chris and his friends defeated her with my help." Noelia explains. The spirits murmur amongst themselves, and then turn to me. They thank me for making the journey here before offering me something. They offer to send me back to the mainland, and Noelia can have her strength replenished here. Well that's a win-win situation. Although, I should probably specify exactly where they should "send" me.
"Please send me to the nearest port. There's a few things I need to prepare for."
With that, the spirits engulf me in a bright light.
The light fades, and I find myself at a harbor. Oh, this must be Panbu. An outlying port town that Cardinal hasn't laid its hands on. Looking behind me, I'm greeted by the serene ocean. Nice to be out of that cave...and Noelia will have a chance to regain her strength...Huh!?
I'm looking into the dark blue sea, and I still have my one pink eye...but I can't feel Noelia. Maybe she'll be back later. I don't expect a magic recharge to finish in a few minutes after all. So I look at the moon before turning and heading towards town.
Looks like I was right. Cardinal hasn't touched this lovely port town, and I feel as if this might be a nice place to get away from the war once I get back home. Still, I'm pretty hungry. There'll be no more help from Noelia, so I reach into my back pocket for my wallet. Forty bucks. That's enough for a cheap meal and a night's stay somewhere I think.
So as I walk into town, I feel strangely happy. One thought runs through my head.
"I'm home."