Solar Guidance
Bisca smiled and nodded out of kindness as she listened to another one of Berta's life stories. Seated across from the elderly woman at one of the small, round, rickety tables in the temple's mess hall, the green-haired mage of Fairy Tail was quite enjoying the other's company. The seventh person to be interrogated, Berta was the friendliest and chattiest of the followers of Light so far. And she didn't hesitate to answer any of Bisca's questions.
Not only that, the old woman went out of her way to prepare a tray of assorted biscuits and a pot of deliciously sweet rooibos tea. They talked for a good solid hour, nibbling and sipping between conversations. Bisca learned more about the Temple of the Light God and its people from Berta than the other previous six people combined. And that included the stuck-up High Priestess named Zanna.
Oh, Bisca did not like talking to the High Priestess. Gold eyes like a hawk and a tongue as sharp as a knife, it wasn't easy getting answers from the older, intimidating woman without feeling like a nuisance in the presence of a more 'superior' person. Their conversation had been the briefest exchange of dialogue in Bisca's history of interrogations, not that the sharpshooter would complain. The instant Miss Stuck-up abruptly excused herself for being too busy to carry on, the mage was more than happy to walk away and seek out another person for questioning.
From the other six people including Berta, Bisca had learned that there were four individuals who were in control of opening and closing the holy doors of the temple: the High Priestess Zanna, High Priest Owen, Priestess Rita, and, of course, Priest Jarron. Each one had one of the four Holy Staves of the Light God, (which acted like the temple's master keys), and only they were allowed to touch them for 'Light had chosen them to be their wielders'.
There were a total of fifty-five worshippers of Light living at Lake Hemlock and there hadn't been any new members for a while. The last person to join the community was over a year ago, so that ruled out the possibility of suspecting a newcomer of theft. Everyone was accounted for; no one was missing, which made Bisca wonder if the thief was truly among them. It was still a good possibility; the community didn't take into account who was present between the start of last night's commotion and the moment the Divine Blade From Heaven was discovered to be stolen from the altar.
The sky sword went missing in the middle of the night, roughly around two in the morning. It was around that time the followers of Light were abruptly awakened by a loud explosion coming from the Temple of the Light God. The Divine Blade From Heaven should have been impossible to steal, according to one of the large, handsome and muscular men Bisca had a chance to speak with. The sword had pierced deep into the ancient stone of the altar and no one in the temple, not even the strongest, could pull it free or make it budge. The only way to free the blade was to damage the altar in the process, which someone had the joy of doing in excess.
The first person who found the sword missing was High Priest Owen and that was the next person Bisca wanted to talk to next.
After finishing her second cup of delicious tea, Bisca told her new friend, "Thank you for your time, Berta. It was a pleasure talking to you. You've been a big help."
The kind old woman smiled, making the corners of her eyes and mouth wrinkle. "I'm glad to be of any help," she replied. "I certainly hope you and your friends can find the one who defiled our sacred altar and stole Light's gift to us. If there is anything I can help you with, please ask."
"There is one thing," Bisca began, "Where can I find the High Priest, Owen?"
Berta thought for a moment, pursing her lips and absent-mindedly twirling the end of her long, braided gray hair. "Ah, I believe he is down in the Lower Shrine as usual," she finally answered. "I can show you where that is." She stood up and started to clean up the table.
Bisca jumped to her feet to help, ignoring the old woman's protest. Once the dishes were rinsed and everything else put away, Berta started to lead the sharpshooter out of the mess hall. For a woman of seventy-five years, Berta could move pretty fast. Bisca was almost jogging right after the petite, old woman as they ventured down a long, empty corridor.
To break the silence, Berta went on to talk about another interesting story about her life many years before she had chosen to wear the robe of white. Halfway through her story and without missing a beat, there was a large, heavy door situated at the end of the hall and Berta threw her small, elderly frame into it like a tackling sports-ball player, shoving the huge slab of wood and iron wide open to reveal a stone staircase that spiraled down.
Bisca smiled in amusement as Berta ushered her inside and proceeded to kick the door shut, never pausing in her tale. There was no railing lining the inner spiral of the stairs, but thankfully the steps were wide enough for up to three people to walk side by side. However, the outer person had to watch their step or else one misstep could result in a fatal drop to the bottom five stories down. Hanging down the center was a long, thick chain with Lacrima lamps, in the shape of metal birds, attached to the links at intervals to light the stairway.
Carved into the smooth wall at the top of the staircase was the same image of the holy falcon superimposed over a radiant sun. As they ventured down, there were smaller birds etched into the stone, frozen in flight. It didn't take long for Bisca to recognize the little birds as sparrows and she counted twelve of them, each in a different location in the spiral staircase, all soaring towards the holy one waiting at the top.
There was no door at the bottom but an entranceway that led to a hallway that differed from the other hallways Bisca had walked through so far. The ceiling was high and arched and the floor was dark and shiny. It felt like Bisca was walking on precious onyx glass from the sound of her clinking heels. She treaded lightly, afraid to break the floor, but after witnessing Berta swiftly move about without a care, the sharpshooter quickened her pace to catch up.
At the end of the short hallway was a fairly large chamber with a domed ceiling that depicted a large, radiant sun made from golden tiles. The strong smell of incense plagued the room due to the numerous burning sticks placed upon the three altars carved into each of the three walls. Perched atop the altars were small Light Lacrima statues of none other than the temple's Light God in three different poses: on the altar to Bisca's left, the falcon was resting; on the right, the falcon had its wings spread out; on the farthest, opposite of the entrance, the falcon was in mid-flight.
On the glassy black floor in the centre of the chamber used to be twelve supporting pillars built into a ring around yet another majestic symbol of the haloed falcon against the sun. All but one of the columns were broken. Bisca's violet eyes traced the crimson lines decorating the lone pillar towards the red sun marked near the top as she strolled by, recognizing the same markings from the other pillars in the room with the sparrow statues. She wondered what sort of significance the twelve pillars held for Berta's religion.
There were a few people around, lighting new incense and replacing the old ones, and doing other duties. They only glanced at Bisca for a brief second before returning to their work.
The mage of Fairy Tail quietly followed the elderly woman towards the farthest altar where a plump man in white was busy cleaning up the ash collected on the altar top. He wore the gold-trimmed mantle which identified his status as the High Priest among the people of Light.
Hearing the women's approach, the man named Owen stopped in his work and turned around with a welcoming smile set upon a rounded, jolly face. He appeared to be younger than Jarron and Zanna, perhaps around fifty years old. He was well-groomed with a nicely trimmed salt-and-pepper beard and medium length black hair that was oiled and slicked back. Leaning against the altar was his Holy Staff of the Light God that was made of gray oak. The top was carved into the body of a falcon with its wings folded around an egg-shaped crystal that pulsed with golden light.
As Owen wiped his chubby, ash-covered hands on a white handkerchief, he greeted Berta with great enthusiasm, his voice booming in the chamber; "Blessings from Light! Welcome, my dear Berta!" His dark brown eyes gleamed with a child-like curiosity when he turned to Bisca. "Who is your friend?"
"High Priest, this is Bisca, one of the mages from Fairy Tail who have come all the way from Magnolia Town to help us find the Divine Blade From Heaven."
The green-haired woman politely nodded at the larger man.
High Priest Owen clapped his hands together, producing a loud smack. "Ah, yes! Fairy Tail!" he exclaimed, recognizing the guild name, "Jarron has told us about you. Thank you for coming all the way here, my lady! You are a blessing to us to show up in our time of need." One big hand covering the shining pendant hanging down his neck, he bowed his head at Bisca either out of thanks or respect, the mage wasn't quite sure.
Whichever it was, the gesture made Bisca momentarily forget about her confrontation with Miss Stuck-up. She smiled in return of his kind gesture. "Uh, thank you, sir," she said, trying to sound humble, "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but I have some important questions to ask you, if you don't mind?"
The High Priest straightened, crossed his fingers over his big belly, and let out a hearty laugh that seemed to vibrate the whole room. "Oh! You're not interrupting a thing, my lady! I'm just doing a little cleaning before the evening prayer. Please, ask away."
"I've been told that you were the first person to discover the sword missing. Did you notice anything unusual on your way to the temple or altar?" she asked, crossing her arms.
Owen's jolly mood deflated like a balloon. With a heavy brow, he sighed and grasped his pendant. His voice even lost its strength and vigor. "Such a tragedy to befall our sacred temple," he murmured with a sad shake of his head, "I saw nothing out of the ordinary when I rushed up the mountain and through the temple halls. I didn't pay much attention, you see, for my mind was wracked with the terror that unfortunately came true."
Bisca nodded. "Were you alone when you first arrived at the sacred altar?"
"Yes. But I didn't enter the temple alone. Zanna, the High Priestess, was with me. We did not permit anyone else inside for it was our duty to protect the people from any danger. However, Zanna… she disappeared shortly before I entered the sacred valley only to reappear a few minutes later."
The mage narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Where did she go? Did you ask?"
The High Priest rubbed his beard seemingly out of nervousness while his rounded cheeks flushed red. He avoided Bisca's gaze. "Uh… Well, I shouldn't say… The poor dear hates it when anyone talks about her without her consent."
The sharpshooter wanted to scoff but refrained from doing so. She had to maintain her professional appearance no matter how much she disliked the High Priestess.
"The High Priestess isn't here to scold you so there's nothing wrong," said Berta with a wave of her hand. She winked at Bisca and the High Priest. "She doesn't need to know we said anything."
Owen frowned in guilt and looked around the chamber, on the lookout for the aforementioned High Priestess. "Err, w-well…" he began to stutter.
Bisca lowered her voice. "Any information could be helpful with our search, sir," she began with a little nod of assurance, "If anyone around the temple has been showing any suspicious behavior before and after the sword went missing, I'd like to hear it."
"Suspicious?" The priest's eyes widened. He quickly shook his head. "What? No! No! Zanna said she thought she saw something and went to investigate, but it turned out it was nothing. That's not suspicious at all!" He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. "Please don't tell her I talked about her!" he begged in a hoarse whisper.
The green-haired mage furrowed her brow in thought. It sounded like a reasonable excuse, especially under the circumstances, but Bisca's gut was telling her not to accept it as the whole truth. After all, Miss Stuck-up avoided answering Bisca's questions, acting as if she was indeed hiding something. Wasn't that suspicious enough? "I'm afraid I can't disregard her as a suspect," said the sharpshooter.
"Wh-What?! How could you…?!" The High Priest's face suddenly turned bright red with anger. His nostrils flared as he pointed a fat finger in Bisca's face. "By the Thirteen Gods! How dare you blame the High Priestess for desecrating our sacred altar and stealing the Divine Blade From Heaven!"
His furious outcry made Bisca jump back in alarm and directed everyone's attention towards her. She almost equipped one of her rifles out of battle instinct. Hands empty with fingers twitching for a trigger, it was her turn to break into a sweat when she felt everyone staring.
"W-Wait! I haven't come to that full conclusion yet, sir," Bisca told the fuming man hastily in hope of calming him down.
"Suspecting her is the same as accusing her!" the priest roared. Bisca was pretty sure she saw spit flying.
The green-haired mage took a deep, steadying breath and straightened in her composure, not allowing the man, no matter what rank he was, to believe she had done something wrong. She narrowed her gaze to steel against the man's fury. "She is one of the possible suspects. It might not even be her, but I do know that someone in your temple is the one behind this. Please listen," she quickly added, raising her hand to stop Owen from breaking into another shouting rampage, "No one but the people in this temple knew about the holy sword before it was stolen. Don't you find that suspicious?"
Owen grumbled under his breath and huffed, "It is true that we were the ones who watched over the sacred sword and kept it secret from the public, but you cannot blame one of us for this heinous crime! We all follow the way of Light! Those who join us speak the sacred vow and undergo the purification ritual. The heart and soul is cleansed of all corruption and we are reborn anew! We are disciples of Light and we are the children of the Thirteen Gods!"
The chamber echoed with the High Priest's last sentence as every person present spoke along with him as if reciting a prayer.
Berta, hand held over her own glowing crystal, turned to Bisca with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, dear, but I agree with the High Priest. We are all blessed by Light. There is no one here with a heart touched by darkness."
Bisca bit the inside of her lower lip at the sudden change in atmosphere. Things had gone downhill pretty fast. All but Berta were giving her unfriendly looks, sending her silent messages to get the hell out of their shrine. Since it was obvious that, without evidence, none of them could be swayed into believing that one of their own could be guilty, Bisca decided to end her interrogation. She bowed her head and tipped her hat at High Priest Owen out of respect.
"Thank you for your time, sir," she said stiffly, doing her best to keep the frustration out of her voice. She managed to meet the High Priest's angry glower and held her gaze as she continued, "I'm sorry if I caused you and your people any harm. I see there is a strong trust between every member here and that is something I greatly respect. My team and I are doing everything we can to find out who could have taken the sword from the altar. I can only pray to your Gods that the one responsible does not walk among you, disguised in a white robe."
Not waiting for a reply, Bisca twisted on her heel and walked away in a dignified manner, trying not to stomp her feet too hard on the glossy floor, fearing she might actually shatter it like real glass. She stared ahead, eyes locked on the exit, ignoring the whispers coming from the people standing off to the side. She heard Berta quickly excuse herself before soundly chasing after the sharpshooter.
"Lady Bisca, before you go," Owen's booming voice stopped the mage in her tracks and silenced the gossip. There was no anger in how he addressed the mage, only sternness. "I implore you, do not speak of your suspicions within these temple walls. It is not us who should judge the guilty, but the Thirteen Gods themselves. May Light guide you on your way."
Bisca held back her tongue and said nothing. She left the room without looking back. Once she was in the hall, Berta looped her arm around hers to grab her attention.
"I hope you're not upset at how that turned out," pleaded the old woman.
The mage sighed and turned to face the other. "Well, it certainly didn't go as well as I imagined," she grumbled. Her fingers were twitching again; she wanted to shoot something to cool her head. She forced a smile on her lips as she gently pried away the old woman's grip on her arm. "Thanks again for all your help, Berta. I'm done asking around so I'm going to join up with my husband. I hope we can have a nice chat over tea again sometime."
Berta was clearly disappointed, but then she nodded in understanding. "I'm glad to be of help, my dear. If there is anything else you want to know, you can always come to me for help! I'll make you some chamomile tea next time! Your husband and friends are welcomed to join us!" She reached out and firmly grasped Bisca's hands within hers. "I wish you the best of luck in finding the Divine Blade From Heaven. And I certainly hope you find the truth behind all this. May Light guide you on your way."
The sharpshooter smiled in assurance. "We'll find it so don't you worry. We'll do whatever it takes to get it back." With a wave of farewell, the mage left the old woman and started to jog up the stairs, leaving Berta behind. Talking to Berta made Bisca feel a little better, but overall, she was still irked by how Owen reacted to her opinion on the theft.
At least the stairs distracted the green-haired mage from all the foul thoughts running through her mind. She was out of breath and sweating by the time she reached the tenth sparrow on the twisted stairway. She cursed the stairs and then cursed herself because she had just remembered that she had no idea how to get back to Alzack and Erza without getting lost.
After struggling to open the heavy door and then finally slamming it shut behind her, Bisca decided to trace her steps back to the mess hall. Luckily, she ran into a young girl along the way who was eager to help when Bisca asked for directions.
The mage quickened her pace when she heard her husband's voice coming from the chamber with the sparrow statues. She found her team, along with Priest Jarron and Rhyson, back inside and in the midst of taking off their goggles, which was a good indication that they had just walked back in.
Alzack was blinking and looking around in a daze before his eyes could adjust to the dimmer light within the temple. He was all smiles the instant he saw his wife making her way towards him. "Bis, all done with the interrogations?" he asked while dropping off his goggles in the chest Rhyson held for him.
Bisca nodded. "I think I've gathered enough information for now. What did you guys find out there?"
"Well…" Alzack nervously glanced sideways at Erza and the men in white.
"It was some kind of giant monster," the scarlet-haired mage answered, meeting Bisca's curious gaze. "More likely a demon from the strange energy I can sense within the crater. It left large claw marks on some of the broken pieces of the altar. I think it tried to dig out the sword before it decided to blow the altar apart."
"I've told you," Priest Jarron growled through clenched teeth, "it cannot be a demon! The Valley of the Light God is a sacred, holy place that repels all forms of evil!"
Erza harrumphed and crossed her arms stubbornly. "But you told us that all the Light Lacrima turn dark at night. Perhaps this demon took advantage of that and–"
"Are you listening to me, woman?!" the old man snapped, waving his staff rudely at Erza. "Even if the valley turns dark, it is still protected by the Light God's holy power. The surrounding mountains are enchanted; no dark fiend can enter the valley, not even from the sky!"
Erza's mouth twitched into a snarl. She closed her eyes for a short moment and exhaled sharply out of her nose. "Then we're back to our first assumption," she said, forcing herself to act calm. She shot the priest an impatient glare that would normally turn all who opposed her into whimpering cowards. "Someone in your temple must have summoned a demon at the altar to free the sword before taking it."
"Preposterous!" Jarron exclaimed, ignoring Titania's seething glower. "As I've said before, we are…"
Here we go again… Bisca mentally groaned. She rolled her eyes and ran a hand down her face, tired of hearing how righteous and innocent the followers of Light were and that none of them could ever commit a sin.
Now she understood why Alzack was looking anxious a little earlier when he glanced in Erza's direction. It seemed like he was tired of the 'we-are-holy-thus-we-are-perfect' spiel as well, judging from his irritated frown. He faced his wife and sighed exasperatedly. "They've been going at each other like this since you left," he muttered quietly so only Bisca could hear. "The kid and I have been trying to keep them calm, but I think their patience has finally run out…"
The sharpshooter leaned close and whispered, "Then we should get out of here and discuss what we found outside. Away from them." She discreetly motioned to the followers of Light with only her eyes. "These guys aren't going to listen to us and we've kept Romeo waiting for a while now."
Her husband nodded and they both turned back to the ongoing argument. Both felt a shiver down their spine when they saw Erza's murderous scowl that was directed at the little old man. She looked ready to strangle the priest who was somehow immune to her deadly glare.
Rhyson was stuttering as he tried his best to keep his grandfather from pushing the scarlet-haired mage too far; "G-Grandpa, if-if you think about it, s-she could be right b-because–"
"Be quiet, Rhyson!" the priest snapped.
That quickly shut the poor boy up. Red in the face with embarrassment, Rhyson backed away like a submissive animal and said nothing more.
Erza was infuriated, but before she could say her piece, (and likely tear a new hole in the priest), Bisca quickly ran up to her and started to pull the younger woman away. "H-Hey Erza, we're pretty much done looking around here for clues! Let's go and start searching for the sword, okay? Romeo's waiting for us outside and he's probably bored to death by now."
Titania growled and, thankfully, followed the sharpshooter without protest. "Very well," she managed to say without spitting out the words in anger. She took a deep breath and said in a somewhat calmer voice, "I suppose we should start searching the surrounding area for more clues."
Alzack kindly gestured for the priest and his grandson to start leading them out. With the men in white up front and the three mages in the back, the situation was unlike the first time the group walked through the long, empty corridors. There was a tense, awkward silence that neither party was willing to break. Thankfully, the journey to the front doors felt a lot quicker due to the faster pace they were moving at.
Bisca couldn't have been more relieved to step out from the cold, drab interior of the temple and into the warm rays of the late afternoon sun. Before the holy doors slammed shut, Priest Jarron left them a final message; "I hope you will remember that our temple is impenetrable by the forces of darkness. No demon and no creature with a dark heart can ever step foot beyond these doors or the valley mountains. You believe that one of us is behind the theft, but I will tell you that is untrue because we would have found the perpetrator by now. I have faith that you will find the Divine Blade From Heaven. When you do, please, come see me again and you will receive your reward. May Light guide you on your way."
Erza growled and stormed away soon after the doors were closed. "Stubborn old fool," she snarled, throwing her hands in the air out of frustration, "It has to be one of them. I see no other way for a demon to enter if he claims his temple to be 'impenetrable'. Why can't he understand this logic?"
"Are you sure it was a demon that did it?" Bisca asked as she chased after the fuming mage who looked ready to pulverize whatever got in her way with her steel-plated fists. Luckily, they were on an open plateau with nothing to smash to pieces unless the mountain cliffs counted.
Titania nodded. "The energy left in the crater felt… dark. Similar to some of the demons I've slain yet… not exactly. It's hard to explain. If it is not a demon, then I don't know what it is if it can pass through a holy barrier. After all, 'no creature with a dark heart can enter the sacred valley'," she improperly quoted Priest Jarron while poorly imitating his elderly voice. She ran her hands through her beautiful scarlet locks as she groaned at their stubborn client.
"I've run into a similar situation when I spoke of my suspicions," said Bisca, shaking her head at the memory of High Priest Owen's angry reaction. "They got pretty defensive. I even got the same lecture from the High Priest."
"You girls have to consider how they feel about it," noted Alzack, raising his brow at them. "You would react the same way if someone accused someone from our guild for doing something wrong without any proof."
Bisca frowned at the truth in her husband's words. Even Erza looked a tad guilty for being angry at the priest.
"You're not wrong about that," said Titania, giving Alzack a little smirk. She stopped just short of the annoyingly long stairway at the end of the plateau and turned to Bisca. "So, what did you find out from them that may help us solve this mystery?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip.
The sharpshooter was about to spill everything she had learned when she suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute… where's Romeo? And Links?" She looked around the plateau, finding it empty and quiet.
Alzack did a quick scan and shrugged. "They're probably down the stairs with the animals," he said.
Bisca shook her head. Her tracking spell was telling her a completely different story. She slowly turned and craned her head to stare at the highest peak of the nearest mountain that overlooked the temple, mouth agape. "What? I don't believe this…" she uttered in both awe and horror.
Her husband blinked before quickly realizing what she meant. "Wait, he's… Links is up there?!" he exclaimed, pointing at the mountain top. "How in Earthland did he get up there? Is Romeo up there too?!"
"No idea," was Bisca's answer to both of Alzack's last questions. Just when she thought it was impossible for the wolf to climb onto the roof of the temple, the clever little guy had to somehow prove her wrong. She scratched the back of her head as she tried to think of how the beast managed to climb to the top; the mountain trail ended at the temple, there was no other path to take and the mountainsides were steep, nearly a vertical incline.
"I didn't see any other trails on our way up here," said Alzack, furrowing his brow in thought. "D'you think he flew? Can sky wolves fly?"
Bisca rolled her eyes and shot her husband a dubious look. "Be serious, Al. We'll worry about how he got up there later. We need to figure out how to get him down before he gets himself into more trouble!"
"I can get him for you and check if Romeo is up there too," offered Erza as she stepped towards the mountain, now dressed in her Black Wing Armour.
Of course! Bisca almost forgot that Erza could fly with some of her armours. She was so glad to be working alongside Titania.
"Careful, Erza," warned Alzack with a teasing smile, "Don't let those temple guys see you in that. They'll mistake you for a demon for sure."
The shadow from the sun made the warrioress's smirk seem more wicked than normal. Indeed, she was like a demon (in both appearance and personality) when she wore the black armour set that had a pair of bat-like wings attached to the back.
"Thanks, Erza," said Bisca, returning to the matter at hand. "Try not to scare the little guy, okay? Next time, I might have to consider putting a leash on…" The sharpshooter trailed off when she heard a familiar howling that echoed around the mountains. All eyes rose to the very peak where the sound was coming from.
It was undoubtedly Links and he was singing. However, it wasn't his usual lonely, drawn out cry, but a fluctuation of different notes that formed a strange, captivating melody.
The song wasn't very long. When it ended, the final note seemed to reverberate throughout the mountain range.
Light suddenly flashed in the periphery of Bisca's vision. She, along with Erza and Alzack, turned sharply around just in time to see every engraved line that made up the holy symbol of the falcon in middle of the plateau alight with golden energy. And standing in the centre of the holy mark, illuminated in its golden radiance, was none other than Links and Romeo, with the boy looking just as shocked as the rest of the mages of Fairy Tail.
The light faded a second later, turning the lines back to its natural stone gray.
"Wow! What just happened?! Did we teleport here?!" Romeo exclaimed as he looked around and saw the temple. His wide eyes fell on the nodding wolf. He had yet to notice Bisca, Alzack, and Erza standing by the steps until Alzack called his name.
Both the boy and Links jumped in surprise. Romeo quickly got over his shock and started to grin in excitement the moment he saw his team. "Guys! You'll never guess what happened!" he shouted, unable to contain himself as he ran towards the trio with Links sprinting alongside him.
"What did happen?" Alzack was first to ask, making his way over to meet the pair half-way with the women following right behind.
Bisca ran the last few feet when she saw the blood on the boy's clothes, her motherly instincts kicking in. "You're hurt!" she cried, grabbing his arms. She cringed at the ugly, dirty scrapes on the palms of his hands, his elbows, and on his legs. His face and clothes were covered in dirt and his hair was disheveled as if he had gotten himself into a rough fight. Macao was not going to be very happy with Bisca and Alzack when he saw his son again.
"How did you end up like this? Were you attacked?" she asked out of concern as she kneeled before the boy with a first-aid kit appearing in her hand.
"What? No! This was from climbing up the mountain," Romeo answered, pouting at the sharpshooter's need to tend to his wounds. "It's okay, it only hurts a little!"
"You are bleeding all over. You are not okay," Bisca stressed, giving the boy a firm look. She hated seeing him hurt as much as she hated seeing her daughter and animals injured. Over the past six years, since Asuka was born and Romeo became like older brother to her, Bisca always treated Romeo like a son of her own. The mother often made sure he was out of danger during guild missions; however, she didn't expect him to suddenly decide to climb up an impossible mountain cliff when he was left alone with Links.
Alzack was flabbergasted. He pointed at the mountain. "You climbed up that? How?" he asked incredulously.
The boy shook his head. "Not the outside – ah!" He flinched away when Bisca dabbed at his bleeding hand with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball.
"Sit down," commanded the green-haired mage, pulling on the boy's arm to stop his fidgeting.
Romeo gritted his teeth and obeyed, plopping down on the ground. "We climbed the inside of the mountain," he continued, grimacing from every disinfecting dab. "There was a secret door in the side of the mountain that Links opened."
Bisca turned to Links in surprise, noticing for the first time how dirty he had gotten as well. Almost all the white of his fur was now gray-brown with his paws stained the darkest. He nodded at her as if to agree with what Romeo had just said and stared intently with his bright blue eyes, most likely eager to know what she had found at the temple. Something silver glinted around his neck, most of it hidden by his thick mane.
Bisca raised a questioning eyebrow, wondering what it was and where he had gotten it.
"We ended up at the very top of the mountain. The view there was incredible. Oh! And Links can talk to ghosts!" Romeo went on, his excitement returning. "At least… I think it's a ghost. It told him how to open the secret door and – and it gave him a Celestial Spirit key! Look!" He pointed wildly at the silver object hanging around the wolf's neck.
Bisca had to pause in her work, overwhelmed at how ridiculous the boy's tale was starting to sound. And yet, it was the truth – she knew when Romeo was lying by his shifty eyes and telltale reddening of his ears.
Curious, Alzack kneeled in front of Links with a friendly smile and patted the animal's head before reaching down to grasp the key for a better look. "Hey, it is a Celestial Spirit key," he said in wonder. There was a yellow jewel on the bow of the key that sparkled in the sun. It was tied onto a black necklace that also had two golden feathers attached to it. Alzack met the wolf's intelligent gaze. "A ghost gave this to you?" he asked skeptically.
Links' right ear twitched a few times. He looked annoyed before he snarled, snapped his jaws, and shook his head as if to shake something off. Alzack quickly backed off due to the wolf's odd behavior.
"It must be the ghost!" Romeo tried to explain, "He was acting just as weird before he opened the secret door. He was jumping around and growling a lot."
"A ghost?" Erza mused, back in her normal attire. She narrowed her eyes at the beast as if trying to see the so-called apparition haunting poor Links.
Links snorted, looked at each of them in turn, and shook his head, this time more slowly to say 'no, you're wrong!' to their questions. He grunted, turned around, and ran over to the carving on the ground. He stopped at the head of the falcon, turned to make sure the mages were still watching, and then lightly pawed the image of the bird. He flicked the silver key with his front paw and pointed his nose several times at the falcon while the group was trying to figure out what he was trying to tell them.
"The Light God?" Alzack wondered out loud, frowning in confusion.
Romeo suddenly jumped to his feet, his expression one of amazement as he gawked at Links. "That ghost at the top of the mountain was the Light God? And it… it gave you the key?" he asked, bringing odd looks on the adults' faces.
But when Links nodded vigorously, Bisca was next to stand up in shock, her first aid supplies and Romeo's wounds forgotten. "No way…" she whispered.
"That can't be right," Alzack murmured, "Gods… don't exist, do they?"
The wolf barked and shook his head at Alzack's question, bringing more confusion among the group. He flicked the spirit key once more and nodded at the falcon in the stone, stomping his foot a few times by the bird's head.
Argh, charades! Bisca pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as she tried to understand what Links wanted them to know.
From what she knew so far, the Light God apparently gave Links a Celestial Spirit key, but the God was not truly a God. Was it because it was a ghost as Romeo claimed it to be? And for what reason did it give Links a Celestial Spirit key?
Bisca could tell Links was becoming frustrated when he couldn't properly convey his message. He decided to run towards the temple instead.
Bisca shrieked at him to stop and sprinted right after him, afraid he would get shocked by the holy barrier. "Get back here! Stay away from those doors! It's dangerous!"
"Maybe he can enter now! He met the Light God!" shouted Romeo.
The boy's assumption was wrong.
The wolf yelped and jerked away from the stone doors when he attempted to touch it with a paw. He looked at Bisca when she reached him and motioned towards the doors with his nose.
The sharpshooter knelt before him. "You want to go in?" she asked and he nodded. "That's impossible, my little friend. That barrier is going to keep you out."
He bowed his head, his eyes looking sad. Bisca reached out and lifted his chin so he could see her face. She smiled. "Hey, don't cry. We got as many clues as we could while we were in there," she said.
He perked up, his blue eyes wide and his ears erect.
Even though the doors were closed, the mage was a little worried Priest Jarron and the other followers could somehow overhear her so she dropped her voice to a whisper. "One of these people might have taken your master's sword and may have summoned a demon to do the job."
The wolf snorted angrily. He pointed his nose at Bisca then nodded at the temple doors, his eyes pleading.
"You want me to go back in there?" she asked, not quite liking the suggestion. "I doubt they'll like having any of us back in there. They're quite adamant that none of them are capable of pulling off a crime and got very angry when we said it could be one of them."
Links let out a short bark, started to sniff the ground between them, nodded at Bisca and then gestured to the doors again. He repeated the action, even scraped his foot as if trying to dig a hole in the ground, when the woman couldn't figure out what he was telling her the first time.
"I think he wants you to search inside," interpreted Erza, walking over to join them.
Links nodded vigorously at Erza.
Titania's smile was smug at guessing the wolf's message. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed and hand upon her chin. "That's something we haven't considered. If the culprit is one of the temple worship, that person could have likely hidden the sword somewhere inside. Priest Jarron mentioned hearing a loud explosion coming from the temple in the middle of the night. Since there is only one path leading up to the temple, the thief would have needed to lay low and hide the blade for later because everyone down in the cabins would have been climbing up the mountain to investigate the noise."
The wolf nodded again, happily agreeing with Erza. He growled and nodded at the Temple of the Light God, wanting them to hurry up and search its cold, unwelcoming depths.
"That's it, huh? You think your master's sword is in there?" Bisca asked. She smiled in amusement and combed her fingers through the wolf's mane until she caught his new necklace. She held the silver key, wanting to take a closer look, and saw a twelve-pointed sun with a round yellow topaz jewel glinting in the middle of the bow. The two beautiful gold feathers tied to either side of it seemed to glow under the sunlight.
Links nodded, his blue eyes fierce and determined to get his master's weapon.
Bisca's gut twisted with envy. Damn the cruel Gods, she wanted to keep this awesome, loyal animal, but her heart knew she couldn't. "Did the Light God tell you it's in there?" she joked.
To her surprise, the wolf half-nodded after a moment of hesitation. The sharpshooter wanted to laugh at how insanely bizarre the situation had turned into. She stood up and faced Erza. "How are we going to do this?" she questioned, dusting off her hands from touching Links' dirty fur. "If we state our reason for going back inside, they'll likely berate us again for accusing one of their own as the bad guy and not let us in."
"I doubt they'll like the idea of us asking to search every room in the temple," stated Erza. "They definitely won't believe that your wolf saw the Light God's ghost either."
"Does sound like a tall tale," Bisca admitted.
Erza hummed in thought and stared hard at the ground by her feet, one armoured hand tapping rhythmically against her plated elbow.
The sharpshooter gave Titania a moment to think while she turned to her husband and Romeo. Her eyes stopped short on the holy falcon carved into the plateau and she quickly remembered seeing the same symbol on the glossy black floor in the Lower Shrine.
A brilliant idea suddenly came to her mind, but first, she needed to confirm if it would work. She looked down at her furry friend, who met her gaze with a curious tilt of his head, and smiled.
The sun was setting, casting its final rays against the tallest mountain peaks. The sky was ablaze in colour from fiery red to pink. It was going to be a calm, warm, and cloudless night.
The splashing of the lake was accompanied by the songs of water-fowl, noisy insects, a crackling fire, human voices, and a twittering sparrow that only Link could hear, see, and touch.
"Is it time to go yet? Is it time to go?" the little spirit asked in a cheery song as she hopped between Link's front paws, her beady black eyes glancing up at the beast every time she landed. Her tiny light pendant illuminated the shadows under the tree, but only Link had the pleasure of seeing the darkness flicker from her every movement.
The wolf grunted, "No, not yet. We must wait until it is dark and the people are asleep in their cabins before we can head out." Exhausted from the day's events, he was resting beneath a tree near the lake shore, close enough to the humans' cooking fire that he could feel its heat through his damp fur. The mages had set up a temporary camp site by the lake that was a good distance away from the cabins.
After discussing and finalizing every step of their plan during the journey back down the mountain, Bisca had forced Link and Romeo to take a bath in the lake because of how filthy they had both gotten during their adventure through the secret, dusty passageway. At first, Link was hesitant to plunge into the cold water, (he hated how his fur got matted when wet), but when Mula and the other animals wanted to join in too, he jumped right in. A horse, a caribou, an ostwark, a wolf, an invisible sparrow, and a human boy all played around by the lakeshore until it was supper time.
The animals were fed first before the mages started preparing their own meal. Seated around the magic fire conjured up by Romeo were the boy, Bisca, and Alzack and they were enjoying each other's company as they chatted and ate. Erza had already eaten and had gone back with Big Joe to the temple to spy on the followers of Light. They needed to ensure that all fifty-five members had left the temple for Fairy Tail's plan to work without getting caught.
Bisca was told that usually by sundown, right after the evening prayer, everyone in the temple would retire to their cabins. As per tradition, the last person to leave was always the High Priest and High Priestess and they were also always the first to enter on a new day. Their religion strictly followed the path of the sun; rising at first light in the morning and resting the moment the sun disappeared behind the mountains.
The thief could be any one of them; Bisca suspected one of the four wielders of the Holy Staves of the Light God because they held the 'keys' to the temple doors. More specifically, she suspected the High Priestess named Zanna because of her sudden disappearance moments before the Master Sword was discovered missing from the altar. However, it may not be as obvious as that; someone could have 'borrowed' one of the staves in the middle of the night to gain access into the temple. An important question Bisca failed to ask during her interrogations was the whereabouts of the four wielders of Light after the people heard the explosion. To answer that, Alzack made an assumption that if one of the four was indeed missing, or if their holy staves were gone, someone would have certainly noticed and would have mentioned it. The biggest question was, if none of the four staves were taken, how did the thief manage to open the holy doors?
Perhaps someone knew how to dispel the holy barrier without a staff of Light. As Pipaya had mentioned, it was the humans who had first erected the barrier long ago, which implied that humans could manipulate it at will if they knew how. But from the information Bisca was telling her team and from what Pipo had observed in the past few centuries, it didn't sound like anyone knew how to open the doors without one of the four magical staves.
So far, Link had managed to convince Fairy Tail it was a demon that had stolen his sword after Erza spoke of her findings at the altar to Romeo. The group had finally come to the conclusion that someone in the temple was either capable of summoning a demon or was in league with a demon.
Hefnir strutted over to Link and squatted next to the wolf. He looked comical with his feathers puffed out and some poking at odd angles so they could properly dry. His bridle, saddle, and the mages' luggage were all removed by Alzack before the bird was allowed to play in the water. "Jealous, brother," the giant bird squawked in his chipper tone, "Ostwark jealous."
Link tilted his head at his feathered friend. "Why are you jealous, Hefnir?" he asked out of amusement.
"Brother mission with mistress. Ostwark want come too."
"It is not safe for you to come with us. It could be dangerous for there could be a demon lurking within that temple," the other replied.
Pipo chirped, "I wish he could come. I like him! He's so big!"
Link lightly shook his head at the spirit, making her look away in disappointment. He had told his animal friends about Pipo and Pipaya. Big Joe, of course, didn't quite believe his story.
"Now you can see what we cannot see! You're full of surprises!" said the hoofed beast before breaking out in hysterical laughter. "What next? Are you going to tell us you can fly too? Ah ha ha ha!"
At least Mula and Hefnir knew the wolf spoke the truth. Since they already believed Link was truly a man who had fallen from the Twilight realm in the sky, invisible Celestial Spirits didn't sound too farfetched for them.
"What is de-mon?" the ostwark questioned.
"An evil creature," Link began to explain, a growl in his voice, "Much more dangerous than your natural predator."
The large bird seemed confused by Link's explanation. It was then that the wolf remembered that the ostwark was raised in captivity and had never experienced living in its natural habitat. Ostwarks were pretty damn fast as well so they probably didn't have too many predators in the wild.
"It is a dangerous creature," the wolf tried to explain again, "One that could endanger the lives of your mistress and her team if they are not careful."
"Oh no!" Mula cried when she overheard Link on her way over to join them. She, too, didn't have her reins or saddle and her legs were muddy and wet. The horse lowered her head and nudged the wolf's cheek with her nose with every exclamation; "You mustn't go against such a mean creature! You mustn't! You mustn't!"
Link brushed his nose against hers when he turned his head to look at her. "I must. It has taken what I need most," he replied, hardening his gaze to show his fearless ambition. "It is dangerous, yes, but I must hunt it down!" He shifted his attention to the three humans by the fire. "I will not allow it to harm any of them if the need to fight arises. I promise you both."
Mula snorted, blowing hot air in his face, and nudged him again, looking worried. "But what about you?"
The wolf showed his fangs in a confident smile. "I am a warrior, my friend. I have battled many creatures of the dark in this body and I have bled, I will not lie. Please, do not worry for me. I know how to fight and survive. I will return – no, we will return safely. You will see."
"You also have Mom to help you!" reminded Pipo, flying up to land on Link's head. "Mom will get you out of trouble!"
"And I have the help of the Light spirits," Link added, glancing up at the tiny spirit. Pipo chirped happily at being acknowledged.
"Spirit here now?" Hefnir asked, looking around the woods in search of what he could not see.
Link nodded, a gesture that made his little rider giddy with joy every time she was perched between his ears. "The daughter, Pipo. She is with me at all times, it seems."
"It's because you are my new master and I am here to guide you!" said Pipo, hopping up and down, her light dancing with her.
The ostwark kept uselessly searching the area for the sparrow. When he couldn't find her, he pointed his beak up to the sky and sang out loud, "Spirit, protect brother! Protect! Protect!"
"I will! I will!" the sparrow sang back. "Tell him I will, Master!"
"She says she will," Link relayed the message. He received joyful songs from both of his feathered companions.
By nightfall, Erza returned on Big Joe. "All fifty-five have descended the mountain and are now in their cabins," she informed as she steered her mount towards the waiting group.
Bisca stood up and stretched all the while trying to suppress a yawn. "Looks like I'm up next," she said, exchanging nods with her husband and teammates. She left the fire and headed for Mula that she had saddled and bridled half an hour ago. "Remember, guys. Meet me at midnight."
"Will do," responded Alzack, giving her a quick salute.
As she passed by the wolf resting beside a sleeping ostwark, she said, "You can take a nap too, Links. It'll be a few more hours before we move, okay?"
With that, she mounted her horse and the pair disappeared beyond the light of the fire. Her mission was to keep an eye on the people in their cabins to see if any one of them were going to sneak out when everyone else was sound asleep. If Bisca saw any suspicious activity, she would leave a note at the rendezvous point and follow the person at a safe distance. If she saw nothing, she would meet up with the others and together, they would travel back to the temple with only the moon to guide them.
Link took the mistress's advice and shut his eyes for a little sleep. However, it was a little difficult to nap when Pipo kept disturbing him. She was constantly moving on his body, never able to stand still. And she kept asking when it was time to go. Only when he promised to play with her after his nap did she finally settle down and stayed quiet.
He was abruptly woken up by an annoyingly happy sparrow shrieking in his ear that was quickly followed by her more infuriating beak.
"It's time to go, Master! Time to go! Up! Up! Play! Play!"
The disgruntled wolf growled as he bolted awake and shook his head angrily in an attempt to throw off the biting spirit. He heard her giggling in delight before feeling her land on his head. He blinked away the sleep in his eyes, his sight quickly adjusting to the brightness of Pipo's small glowing crystal. Beyond her light, everything was outlined in the faint, silvery glow of the waxing moon. He sensed Alzack standing very close and sharply turned his head.
"Hey, easy there, Links," coaxed the man who was just a foot away from the beast, hands held up defensively to protect himself from the wolf's grouchy mood. "It's just me, your pal, Alzack. Come on, boy. It's midnight. Time to go."
The wolf snapped at the word 'boy' but was soon interrupted by a mighty yawn. He nodded right after, bringing a humorous smile on the man's face. While Alzack was busy getting Hefnir ready, Link went to the lake for a quick drink, thankful it was cold as ice to wake up his tired mind.
He took a moment to admire the beautiful scenery, seeing the moon's reflection on the lake's surface and the dark silhouette of the mountains against a starry night sky. When he heard Hefnir start to sing his "Going! Going!" song, he left the shore.
As promised, Link played with his little rider by running through the woods, purposely jumping over bushes and boulders to make her cry out in joy. With the spirit's crystal lighting the way, it was easy to maneuver in the night. Trotting close behind them was Erza, Alzack, and Romeo on their respective mounts.
The group stopped short of the cabins, moving at a walking pace at the border of the forest to minimize noise. Through the gaps of the trees, Link could see nothing but darkness in the windows of every cabin. Even the Light Lacrima hanging above each door were not shining in the night.
Link caught the scent of Bisca and Mula and led the others to their exact location.
The green-haired mage smiled upon the group's arrival. "No one has left their cabins in a while," she whispered, making the strange, large black weapon she carried vanish in thin air. She hopped onto Mula's saddle. "Let's hurry to the temple."
As quietly as they could, the reunited team made their way around the residential area and onto the mountain trail. From there, the animals sprinted up the rocky path, turning their journey into a race of sorts. Link was in the lead since he was more nimble and did not have a burden to carry upon his back. The four beasts were panting by the time they reached the many steps that led to the plateau.
While Bisca was complaining about climbing those awful steps again, Link hung back as his animal friends told him to be careful.
"Be safe, Link," neighed Mula, stomping her foot to make her point clear. "I really hope you find your sword and nothing else."
"Don't die! Don't die!" cried Hefnir.
"He's not going to die!" shrieked the mare, appalled at the large bird's choice of words. "He'll be coming back! He said so!"
Big Joe laughed, but was soon hushed by Erza for being too loud. Once the scarlet-haired mage walked away to join the others already starting the arduous trek up the hundreds of steps, the caribou spoke in a low, rumbling tone, "If you come back a man, then I'll believe everything you told me, fanged one." He grinned, showing all his yellow teeth.
The wolf took that as a challenge. "Then I will come back as a man," he said, giving his companions one last look before he made his way up the ancient steps.
Link was second to reach the top while Erza was first, looking the least bit tired from such a climb. Last, but not least, was Alzack and Bisca. The green-haired woman was huffing and puffing, more so than her husband, by the time she stepped foot onto the plateau.
Romeo instructed the adults to stand within the sun carved into the ground, having been shown what to do when Link first tried activating the magic warp circle. Once in position, all eyes were on the wolf standing in the center.
"Alright, Links," began Bisca, giving the wolf a knowing smile, "Get us inside."
Pipo chirped upon her perch on Link's head; "Pipa-piyo, the Sun-warp song, do you remember it, Master?"
"I am afraid not," he answered truthfully, "Please, sing it for me again."
He closed his eyes and listened closely to the sparrow's short, magical melody.
"Piyo-piyo-pi-ay-yo! Piyo-piyo-pi-ay-yo! Peeta-ta peepo-po!"
After hearing it sung a second time, he raised his nose and howled the song to the moon. Once the last note left his throat, he saw light flash before his closed eyelids and heard the mages gasp in surprise. When he opened his eyes, he was blinded by a familiar golden light that felt warm and welcoming like the morning sun. Then he no longer felt the ground beneath his feet, only air. Next thing he knew, he was flying through the blinding light towards the destination he had set in his mind.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the longest chapter yet for this story. Everything's finally set for some much needed action! Will they find the Master Sword in the temple, you may wonder? Find out next time!
Am I the only person who can never remember the button sequences for the ocarina songs in OoT and MM and thus always needs to follow along in the game menus? Well, Link is in that same position.
Please, don't forget to review! I appreciate any feedback.
Thanks for reading!