Trials of Nidhogg
Disclaimer: I own nuttin' but meself.
Chapter 2 – Explorers of Yggdrasil
Amy wasn't there waiting when the group arrived at the entrance of the Labyrinth. Sarless sighed inwardly, having known this might happen.
"Where'd she go now?" Cerubois asked irritatedly, "She said she'd be here."
"Relax, Ceru," Erika responded, looking around the area, "She's probably around somewhere."
"Well I don't plan on looking for her. She can… Hey, what did you just call me?" Cerubois raised an eyebrow.
"Ceru," Erika answered, smiling, "It's your nickname now. And don't get upset with Amy. I'm willing to bet there's a nice, soft person under all that armour."
'Both mentally and physically.' She continued in her thoughts, her smile fading.
"And I'm willing to bet she went inside the forest on her own, since she's such a cold-hearted bitch."
"Cerubois, that's enough." Sarless cut him off, "Amy is a member of our guild, and we've got to treat her like one. She just needs time to adjust."
"Hmph." Cerubois glowered, "And what are we supposed to do now? It's going to be dark soon, and we're missing one person."
They turned towards their destination. The Yggdrasil Labyrinth looked like a giant mouth in the hillside, with trees as its teeth, ready to swallow any who dared get too close. A shiver ran down Sarless' spine. He took a step towards the forest, marveling at the sight, and saw another guild had just exited from the woods, laughing and cheering. They traveled towards the town on the thin path that trailed straight through the middle of the opening. They seemed glad to be out of there before night fell. Sarless wondered if Cerubois was right about Amy going in alone.
'Is she really that angry to do something so foolish?' He thought, showing no concern on his face, but feeling it inside. If he was going to be a leader, he needed to be strong and not cause worry to the others. 'Well, perhaps she can take care of herself if she did go in, but that doesn't change the situation.' And what if she had just gone to get something in town? Sarless took a deep breath to clear his head.
"We'll go in," Sarless said, turning to the others, "Like Cerubois said, we're missing one member, so we'll just have to be more careful. Besides, we're only going in to make a map, and we can leave if it gets too dangerous."
The others nodded slowly, feeling a little anxious. But they all felt the same way. They simply wanted to go in and experience what they'd come here for. The thrill of finally being here, along with the curiosity of such a marvel and the fear of the unknown created a complex uneasiness in them. They wanted to go in and find out what it was all about.
"I can't believe we're actually here…" Erika whispered, more to herself than the others.
Cerubois grinned, imagining the adventures ahead of them, "I can feel it already! Let's go!" He shouted, and rushed forwards, almost knocking over the exiting guild.
"Cerubois! What did I just say about being careful!?" Sarless yelled as he ran after him.
Erika giggled at the two, and rushed off to catch up. "Come on, Cliff!" She called over her shoulder.
Cliff sighed, "This is so not my style…" He muttered as he started running.
-----
The trees of the Labyrinth stretched high above the ground, their canopies blocking the ceiling from view. Although they were now underground, sunlight still managed to creep through to light the area and make the whole area seem very peaceful and serene. Flowers bloomed on the ground, and the grass and moss flourished everywhere.
The group walked through slowly, admiring the view. It was like any other forest they had been in, yet different. It had its own unique aura to it. It was mystical and full of life, and still felt untouched even after all of the visitors it received. And from being isolated underground, the forest was dead silent from a lack of wildlife.
'A lack of non-violent wildlife.' Sarless thought, glancing around him and recognizing the dangers that lay ahead. But it was Cerubois who led the group with confidence. He was simply enjoying the feel of the wilderness, unwary of anything threatening him. His sword was still at his side, unused and clean. Sarless walked a few steps behind Cerubois, sketching their path on a sheet of parchment, as well as jotting down some good spots to set ambushes or rest. Erika and Cliff brought up the rear, Erika marveling at the scenery, and Cliff walking silently and casually, as if this were nothing out of the ordinary.
"C'mon, Cliff. Lighten up a little. This is exciting!" Erika said as she elbowed him.
"I am lightened up." Cliff responded monotonely.
"You're not even smiling!" Erika teased.
"Why do I need to smile to lighten up?" Cliff asked, slightly annoyed.
"Smile for me. To show me you're happy." Erika said, stepping in front of him to block him off.
"No." Cliff stated defiantly, and tried to walk around her. Erika simply side-stepped to block his path again, crossing her arms expectantly. Cliff finally looked her in the eyes. "Erika, I don't want to play games. Let me pass." Cliff said, unamused.
Erika shook her head, smiling. "You made it a game, I'm just playing along."
Cliff squinted, challenging her. He lifted his gloved hand.
"Hurry up you two! You're falling behind! If we get separated we're all going to be in trouble!" Sarless called from where he and Cerubois were waiting. Erika glanced behind her, then back at Cliff.
"Fine. Have it your way." She smirked at Cliff, and skipped away. Cliff lowered his hand and shook his head, confused by her game. Or his game, as she made it seem.
'Why do girls have to be so weird?' He sighed as he began walking forwards.
Cliff caught up with the rest easily, since they had stopped at a fork in the trail. Erika and Sarless looked down the separate paths to try to figure out which way they should go. Cerubois waited impatiently for the decision.
"Well, I don't think it'll matter which way we go," Erika stated, "We have to map the whole place, so we'll end up going both ways eventually."
Sarless nodded in agreement, still looking down the path. He turned back to the others to see them looking at him expectantly. 'Oh. I guess they want me to tell them where to go…' He was still getting used to being the leader.
"Umm, I guess I'll flip a coin. Heads, we go right. Tails, left." He reached into his pocket to pull out a coin, then remembered that Cliff had them. "Oh yeah. Cliff, could I have a coin?" Cliff reached into his pouch and tossed Sarless a coin. He was about to flip it when he heard Cerubois shout "Dibs!". Sarless looked over, thinking he wanted to flip the coin, but Cerubois was running off away from the group.
"Cerubois, where-" Sarless started, then saw the monster a few yards ahead of Cerubois. A common treerat. 'Great. I tell him to be careful and he rushes off to take on monsters by himself.' Sarless thought irritatedly. He drew his bow and loosely strung an arrow in case Cerubois needed assistance.
Erika glanced from Cerubois to Sarless, worried. "Ceru! Don't be stupid!" She called after him. Cerubois ignored her. He was closing in on the enemy, smiling at his imminent victory. He planned out his action as he drew close enough to strike. 'Just one more step and-'
Swip
Cerubois looked up to view his success, but was shocked to see that he hadn't even touched the rat.
'What…?' He thought, his smile fading quickly, 'The sword! I forgot it was-'
"Ahhh!" Cerubois yelled as the treerat bit onto the armour covering his wrist, "Get it off! Get it off!" He continued yelling, shaking his arm frantically.
If Sarless weren't concerned, he would've laughed at the sight, but instead he called "Hold still!".
Cerubois looked towards Sarless, momentarily stopping his arm-shaking, to see Sarless aiming at him. "Oh no! Don't! I've seen this one! He misses the apple!"
Sarless lowered his bow, confused, as Cerubois started waving his arm again, whimpering. The rat held on tight, and Cerubois feared it would cut through his armour. But then the rat started to glow orange, and Cerubois expected the worst and turned his head away.
Fwup Fwoooom
The unfamiliar sound caused Cerubois to look at the rat again, only to see that it was now ablaze! "AH!" He shouted, shaking his arm even more rapidly then before, and this time the rat let go, sending it flying into the bushes. Cerubois was about to sigh in relief, when the bushes caught fire as well!
"Oh no!" Erika shouted, "The whole forest is going to go up in flames!"
Cliff's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and he suddenly felt afraid of the damage he was going to cause. But as soon as the flames started, they dwindled and stopped.
"What… just happened…?" Cerubois muttered in shock. Sarless walked up to the bushes and inspected them. There was no damage from the fire at all. It was as if nothing had happened.
'Odd,' Sarless thought, 'The forest can… heal itself?' He turned and looked at the others, who expected him to give them an answer. He didn't know what to say, so he shrugged. This didn't seem to help their nervous looks.
"There's a lot of strange things about this forest…" He began, "I'm sure this isn't the only thing that we're going to find out of the ordinary."
The others looked a bit more comfortable now that they were reminded of the peculiar phenomena of the Labyrinth, although they were still put off a bit by the oddity.
"Let's keep going," Sarless continued, looking up instinctively to view the sun, but only seeing the trees. The light that filtered through was orange-red, signaling dusk. "It's going to be dark soon. We better make a decision now. Should we head back to town or camp here for the night? I marked a spot that'd be…" He trailed off, noticing his companions staring at him with a hint of fear in their eyes.
"I- I don't think we should… yet." Erika said softly, looking away in embarrassment, "I mean, we're still… new here. Right?"
Cliff and Cerubois said nothing, but Sarless knew they silently agreed with her. He didn't disagree. It was a pretty spooky place to stay in, especially if one didn't know what to expect.
"Alright. We'll stay here for another hour or so, then leave for town," he planned out loud, "Cliff, good work with the rat. Cerubois, get some practice in with that shortsword before you go rushing off into battles alone."
Cerubois looked away ashamedly, and Cliff made no gesture. Erika walked over to Cerubois and began examining his wrist. Cerubois shook his arm away, muttering that he wasn't hurt.
"Good." Erika said, almost sarcastically, "Don't be a moron next time, 'kay?"
Her words seemed to bring Cerubois back, even though he was being scolded. He smiled and nodded. Erika smiled back in a sort of 'you're-an-idiot' way.
Sarless reached into his cloak and pulled out the map parchment again, and started sketching as he walked towards the left path. He figured the others wouldn't mind if he skipped the coin toss and went straight to the task. He was right, and the others followed quietly.
-----
"Aren't you done yet, Sarless?" Cerubois yawned, sitting with his back against a tree. The guild had stopped at a clearing to rest and for Sarless to finish up his mapping of the path and area. Cliff and Erika sat together a few feet away, Erika chattering away about her thoughts, and Cliff silently ignoring her. Sarless had climbed the tree that Cerubois was leaning against in order to view the area more clearly. The path they had taken had ended with this clearing. A dead end, but no one was disappointed. For the first time since they entered the Labyrinth, they felt at peace here.
That is, until a scream pierced the calmness of the night. Erika squealed at the sudden noise, and Cliff looked around confusedly. Cerubois jumped to his feet immediately and drew his sword. From his vantage point, Sarless drew his bow and quickly scanned the area. There was no one in view, but he could hear faint yelling in the direction that the scream had come from.
"This way!" Sarless called as he jumped down from the branch and rushed off back down the path. The others were quick to respond, and were running after him straight away. Cerubois was almost right behind Sarless, despite the weight of his armour. Erika was a few feet behind, looking nervously around for signs of danger, whereas Cliff brought up the rear, but this time he wasn't worried about being seen running. He was focused on the task at hand, whatever it might end up being.
Sarless burst through some bushes blocking the way and ended up on another path on the other side. He looked to his left, and could make out a group of people through the darkness. And glints of light flashing in the dark. There was a battle going on. Cerubois came bustling through the bushes right after Sarless, and made to rush off again to join the battle, but Sarless stuck his arm out to stop him.
"Wait, Cerubois. We need to find out what's going on before we run in and swing weapons wildly." Sarless instructed.
Cerubois grunted impatiently, but abided Sarless' order. He was about to ask what they were waiting to observe, when a loud roar echoed through the woods. Erika and Cliff arrived through the bushes, wondering what they had stopped for.
"Sarless, what's going on? What was that?" Erika asked, her voice stricken with fear. She waited for an answer, but Sarless seemed to be focused on the battle.
"Sarless?!"
"There!" Sarless suddenly shouted as a shadow shifted and a pair of small, orange lights appeared.
"What is it?" Erika asked again, her voice shaking, but Sarless was already stringing an arrow and taking aim.
"That doesn't matter. They need help." Sarless said, letting loose the arrow. It whistled through the air, alerting the other guild of the new presence, who shouted in surprise. A second later, a sickening roar echoed through the forest again, followed by the sound of hooves quickly approaching. Sarless' eyes grew wide as he realized what was happening. He had hit his target.
"Scatter!"
Everyone burst off in a different direction but Erika, left standing in the middle of the path, too afraid to understand the command.
"What's going on…?" Her lips mouthed her words, but her voice had disappeared. Her blue eyes focused on the glowing orange eyes of the beast as it charged. There was nothing she could do but stand and watch in her daze as the pounding of the hooves drew closer, as the shape of the monster became clearer in the darkness. Its antlers gleamed in the faint moonlight, but they were still outshone by the eyes. The eyes burning with blind rage…
"Erika!" A voice came. That was her name, right? The voice was familiar to her, but who was it? The moment seemed to last forever as the event dawned on her. She was about to…
'No…' her thoughts said as they came back, 'Not yet… Please, I don't want to die…'
"Ceru! Help me!" She finally called out, hiding herself behind her arms. She didn't want to see anything any more. If this was the end, she didn't want her last sight to be that of the beast. She took one last breath, enjoying every millisecond she had left, because it would soon be over. If only…
Clang!
'What was that…?' Erika thought, her body weak from fear. Trembling, she glanced through her arms to see someone standing in front of her, blocking the beast's charge.
"Ceru?" She whispered, squinting at the figure, but her body would not let her hear an answer as she collapsed, and everything faded into a dream.
-----
She could hear voices, but couldn't make out the words spoken. Her mind flashed back to the event in the night. But it wasn't dark now, it was bright. 'Am I dead?' She thought, still half-unconscious. Her body responded, her fingers instinctively flexing. They rubbed against something soft and warm. 'I can feel. That means… I'm alive… doesn't it…?' She wanted to cry. She was safe.
'But what about everyone else?'
"Ceru?" Her own voice startled her, causing her to jump a little.
"Erika?" A soft, hushed voice came. Erika opened her eyes, remembering she could do so, and blinked at the sudden light. She was in a sort of hospital ward that she assumed must be the apothecary. Then she looked towards the source of the sound.
"Amy…?" she said, recognizing her companion sitting beside her. But she was different now… She had taken off her armour, and her stern look had dissolved into one of gentle compassion. Erika squinted in the same way as before, noticing a healed wound on Amy's right cheek. "It was you…"
Amy looked away, hiding her scar. "I… I think I owe you an apology."
Erika giggled, "What? Don't be silly. You came back. And you saved my life. Why would you owe me an apology?"
Amy's gaze didn't falter as she explained, "If I had been there, this wouldn't have happened."
Erika's smile stayed as she observed Amy in her current state. She had known it all along. Amy wasn't always as tough as she acted.
"But you were there."
Amy suddenly broke her gaze and stared at Erika in surprise.
"You were there. You were watching over us the whole time, making sure we were safe, even though you were testing us." She continued, "I knew I saw something in the brush when Cerubois was attacked by that treerat."
Amy looked down a little, and Erika could see a small smirk on her face, obviously remembering the moment. Erika looked towards her hand and saw what it had rubbed against. She grabbed Amy's hand and looked sincerely into her blue eyes.
"I'm sorry, Amy. I thou- Let me finish." Erika cut Amy off when she had opened her mouth to protest, "I thought I was ready for the Labyrinth, but I wasn't even able to move out of the way of that monster. If I had just moved, you wouldn't have had to save me, and you wouldn't have that scar."
Amy looked away again, blushing, and muttered something about just doing her job.
"So, in return," Erika continued, letting go of her hand and gently turning Amy's head to see her face, "The least I can do is get rid of that scar for you. Can you pass me my medicine bag?"
Amy stared at Erika, debating whether or not her pride was at stake. But in the end she reached over and grabbed the bag that sat at the foot of the bed, and gave it to Erika, who sat up to examine the contents. Amy watched silently as Erika began muttering to herself and taking out bottles to read the labels, setting aside the ones she'd need. Amy couldn't help but admire the process, and only absent-mindedly took the bag back as Erika began mixing the ingredients while murmuring some incantation that Amy couldn't make out.
"Hold still." Erika directed, dipping her hand into the mixture and bringing it to Amy's right cheek. Amy avoided eye contact, but did as Erika said as she applied the medication over the scarred area.
"There. It'll be absorbed by your skin in a few minutes, and your scar should disappear with it." Erika said as she wiped her hand on a towel from the bedside table.
"Thanks." Amy said as quietly as she could, so only Erika would hear. Amy made a mental note not to underestimate Erika. She was much smarter than one would assume.
"So what was that monster anyways?" Erika asked.
"It was a FOE called a Ragelope." Amy replied softly.
"A what?"
"A FOE. Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens. It's a stronger generation of monster. It's usually better to run than fight them head on, but I guess you guys didn't know that."
Erika shook her head, then frowned, "Where are the others? Are they-?"
"They're fine," Amy replied assuringly, "That idiot Cerubois managed to wreck his left arm, but Sarless and Cliff avoided any injuries. In fact, they should be back soon. They just went to check on the other guild. One of their members was severely injured, and two of them were out cold, but the doctor said they should make a full recovery."
Erika nodded, "Amy, I have a question… If one were to… die, I've heard…"
"That they can be brought back to life?" Amy finished the question for Erika, who nodded. She sighed before answering, "Yes, it is possible. You saw the power of the Labyrinth yesterday, when it healed itself. We can… harvest that power for our own uses, including resurrection."
Erika nodded again, relieved. Although she still didn't like the idea of death, she was glad that there would be a way to be revived. She'd have to ask the doctor about the method someday.
"Hey! Look who's awake!" The sound of Cerubois' loud voice made Erika smile as he entered the room, followed by Sarless and Cliff. His left arm had been bandaged up, and he held it up like a trophy, "Don't try to elbow a ragelope in the head." He said with a grin.
Erika laughed, "Ceru, you're such an idiot."
"That's what they keep telling me," Cerubois shrugged, "Maybe it's true."
"Does it hurt?" Erika asked, her caring instinct taking over.
"What? This little thing? Not at all." Cerubois lied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Oh, guess who came here to see us! Subaltern Quinn!"
Erika raised her eyebrows, "Really? What did he want?"
"Oh, you know, just to register us as an official guild." Cerubois said calmly, investigating the bandage on his arm. He should have been preparing for the squeal and tackle as Erika almost knocked him off the bed.
"Ah! Erika, don't do that! My arm!"
"Did he really?! I thought we had to finish the map!" Erika yelled excitedly, laughing at Cerubois' complaint.
"Nope," Sarless explained, "He was impressed that we saved the other guild, and said we could take care of ourselves just fine." He held out a badge so Erika could see, and she hastily grabbed it to examine. The crest of Etria was sewn onto it, along with the words Explorator des Yggdrasil.
"What language is that? Along with the other one… Foedus… whatever it's called." Erika asked.
"It's an ancient language called Latin," Amy explained, being the only one who knew, "People say it was expected to die out a long time ago, but some small towns like Etria kept it alive for history's sake."
Only Erika and Sarless acknowledged Amy's words with a nod. Cliff remained silent and Cerubois acted as if nothing had happened.
"So does that mean we can go further into the Labyrinth?" Erika asked, both excited and nervous of the thought of venturing deeper. They'd barely managed the first level, so what would they expect in the more dangerous areas?
Sarless nodded, "But first we're going to have to get used to the Labyrinth. I'm not sure we should go further just yet, so I've come up with some training exercises-"
"Training?" Cerubois looked up, a shocked look on his face, but when he saw Sarless' unamused expression, he quickly changed it into a cheesy grin. "Good. I like training."
"Good then. We'll start tomorrow." Sarless said, and everyone nodded. Sarless was finally beginning to feel like a leader, ordering everyone around all the time, though he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.
"Hello?" A voice came from the door. The guild turned to look at the new arrival, a young medic who was part of the guild that they'd saved.
"How's it going?" Cerubois greeted. The visitor smiled.
"Just fine, because of you guys," He said, "On behalf of the Brigsmy guild, I'd like to thank you again for your help, and present to you some money as a gift."
"A gift? I don't think we should…" Sarless trailed off.
The medic blushed and nodded, as though he'd expected the answer, "Well, can we at least buy you a round at the pub?" He asked hopefully.
"Oo! Is it okay, Sarless?" Cerubois asked eagerly, like a child wanting a toy. Sarless turned to the others for their opinion. They seemed content with the idea. Sarless nodded, and Cerubois whooped.
"Great," The medic said, grinning, "I'll tell the others. They should be up and about later, so we'll come back here then."
"See you then." Sarless said, and the medic left, all smiles, his footsteps echoing down the hall.
-----
As the two guilds entered the Golden Deer Pub, they could be easily classified as first-timers and experienced veterans. The Brigsmy guild immediately went off scouting for a table, while the Nidhogg guild stood at the door, staring in surprise at the size of the pub. It could easily have fit 40 guilds, with room for more possible. A large bar was placed along the wall to the right of the entrance and spanned almost the entire length of the wall, with a table at each end. What was even more surprising was that the entire building was filled with other people, laughing, drinking, eating, and having an all-around good time. It was easy to see that this was a place of happiness, away from the troubles of the Labyrinth. Sarless elbowed Cerubois lightly, who was staring at a group of girls, informing him that the other guild had found a table.
"We got lucky tonight," the medic said cheerfully as the guild approached, "Usually there's a line at the door."
They all had a seat, and within moments a barmaid arrived at their table. She looked to be in her late twenties, with her long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and a beauty mark under her left eye.
"Well if it isn't the Brigsmy kids," she said in a scolding tone, "What were you thinking? You nearly got yourselves killed! Don't do that to me! You know how attached I get to my favourites!"
The guild lowered their heads in shame and embarrassment, mumbling apologies. The barmaid's attention turned to the others.
"And these must be your saviours." She suddenly smiled, her brown eyes shining, "Welcome to Etria. My name's Valerie, I'm the publican here. I can't thank you enough for saving these guys."
"It was nothing." Cerubois said, trying his best to be modest.
Valerie nodded, her smile fading, "This kind of thing happens too often, and sometimes there's no one there to help… It's upsetting for me." She let out a sigh, then after a moment of thought, straightened up again. "Well, what can I get you guys tonight?"
"We'll have a round to start off with," the landsknecht from Brigsmy requested, and Valerie nodded.
"One round coming up." She said with a wink and walked back towards the bar.
A few rounds later, Erika decided to quit for the night. She wanted to make sure the others could make it to the inn alright. It was getting late, but she didn't want to interrupt, since they were all enjoying themselves. Cerubois was boasting about the fight with the Ragelope for the third time, swaying a little with each excited gesture as he re-enacted the battle. Sarless was busy sharing stories with the Brigsmy troubadour, and even Cliff had started opening up. But she suddenly noticed that Amy wasn't sitting at the table. She looked around, and then spotted her sitting at the bar alone. Erika turned to excuse herself, but didn't bother. Everyone was too distracted to notice her slip away.
"You know, you don't have to isolate yourself to overcome a problem." Erika said as she sat down beside Amy. Amy didn't reply.
"It's usually better to be with friends in difficult times."
Amy snorted, "What friends? I don't fit in with you. Or anyone. In my guild, I was the leader because the others were afraid of me. They had no respect for me. And now… now I'm the outcast. And I don't want your pity." She glared at Erika, and Erika was glad to see that her scar had disappeared nicely. But she could also see that Amy's face was beginning to turn red from the alcohol. She looked away and stared at the counter, allowing Amy to calm a little.
"Look, we're willing to accept you as part of the team and a friend, but you're making it hard by distancing yourself from us."
Amy's expression softened a little and she turned back to her mead. She took another sip and hiccupped. She blushed a little, making her face more red.
"And that's enough alcohol for you." Erika said simply, taking Amy's glass away and walking back to the table. Amy was left staring after her, mouth slightly agape, confused as to what had just happened. She turned back around, embarrassed that she was being ordered around. She was about to ask Valerie for another glass, but stopped. Perhaps Erika was right, but… Amy wasn't the best at making friends. Finally, she made up her mind and brought a chair over to the table to sit down. She was immediately welcomed by the others, who'd also had a bit too much to drink, but Amy just smiled uncomfortably.
"And that's when I went in for the final blow!" Cerubois said a little too loudly.
This caught Amy's attention. "Excuse me?" She asked rudely.
"You know, the final blow. Hwah." Cerubois said to Amy as if she was just there for the story and making a downward motion with his arms to emphasize his point. He turned back to continue, but Amy interrupted again.
"To my memory, you were on the ground wailing as I finished off the Ragelope." Amy said uncouthly.
Cerubois stared at her awhile, trying to recognize this intruder in his story, then frowned as he remembered. "Well at least I had the guts to stay with my guild instead of letting them almost get killed."
Amy stood up, her breathing quickened, "Oh right, saying this after I came and saved your asses! If it weren't for me, you'd all be dead right now! Maybe next time I'll just watch!" She kicked her chair out of the way and stormed out of the pub before anyone could say something to stop her.
Everyone was left staring at Cerubois, both in confusion and disrespect.
"What?" He said, annoyed at the looks. "Don't you start on me too. We don't need her."
But the party was over, and people started getting up and saying farewells. Cerubois sat in his place as the rest of his guild stood up and gathered their belongings. They didn't say anything to him as they left for the inn, but Erika gave him a dark glance before turning away.
Cerubois sat still as Valerie came by and started cleaning up the table.
"You know, you didn't really handle that well, kid." She said politely.
But Cerubois didn't answer. He simply put his glass down and walked out into the night.
In the next chapter…
Tensions run high in the Nidhogg guild during the training that Sarless has set up, and the team takes a chance with the next floor of the Labyrinth.
"That's it!" Cerubois yelled furiously, "You and me right now!"
"Cerubois!" Erika yelled in surprise, but Cerubois ignored her.
Amy stood up straight, "Is that a challenge?" She asked coldly.
Author's Notes:
Just a little comment on the 'Explorator des Yggdrasil'. I'm pretty sure it's not proper Latin, since I know nothing of it. I used online translators, but I couldn't find a translation for "of" (if there even is one), so just pronounce 'des' as it is, not the French way. :P I'm not going to worry about it too much, since it's an ancient language only carried on by small towns, right? There's gotta be a few changes over the years. '