Note: Just a minor note: while Duran is the one that holds Faerie in his head, he's not the only 'main' character per se. True, I have plans regarding the sword and him, but he's now the 'main' character. All six are the main characters, as it's about them too.
Also, here's hoping the time frame isn't too confusing, as some of the characters will arrive at Wendel later than others, but it will be for a reason. And eventually, in a few chapters, all six will meet up with each other and get on track.
Also, sort of changing how they all get wrapped up in the whole thing, like someone telling you to get a mystical sword and save the world, isn't exactly something that seemed to be on anyone's agenda when they went to Wendel in the first place. But they will soon realize that the sword may be the key to their problems and that the world isn't waiting to be saved.
Holy City Wendel
Jadd
"And keep quiet!" the cell door slammed, trapping the well-dressed man in the small, enclosed space. The violet-haired beastman was on guard duty. Again. It's not as if there was any way that the stout man could escape, let alone come up with an excuse to wager his way out. Nope! Fureddie was too intelligent for some cheap tactic such as that! No sir!
Above the holding cells, patrolling the halls of the expansive manor, Ludgar walked with a peculiar figure, arms folded and contemplating what said the figure was telling him. "That human is laying it on thick, isn't he?"
The blonde beastman huffed. "As if his money would do him any good," Ludgar growled. It was humans like him that especially pissed him off. The luxury that this pig was living in made him even angrier. He grabbed a nearby pot and smashed it on the floor, glass flying everything; the water and flowers that had been resting in it splayed out and ran into the tiles composed of the flooring. The jester only smiled at the display of anger.
"This whole takeover is therapeutic for you all, isn't it?" Goremand questioned, Ludgar saying nothing, but he stopped his pace upon hearing the jester say that. Then, seeing he had the opportunity, Goremand made his move. "You know what has to be done soon."
Ludgar raised a brow. "Hm?"
"You must decide, of course!" the jester proclaimed. "Jadd is in your possession, and soon, Wendel will be as well."
"Assuming that the barrier will be broken." the beastman answered.
"Oh, trust me. It will." Goremand assured. "I feel it. Something from afar is coming."
Ludgar was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Something not of this world." the jester explained. "As of now, she is alone. The others have left her. But, I felt their presence in your land."
"What of them? How will they break the barrier?"
"They seek to go to Wendel as well." Goremand smiled. "The old man's infamy is well known in all corners of the world...and beyond." Ludgar noticed the jester's emphasis on the latter part of his statement. "But when that happens, and you DO seize Wendel...you must make a decision." he drew closer to the beastman. "The Mana Stone will not simply release its energy willingly. The beast inside craves blood."
"I know well what releasing the energy from the stone entails," Ludgar answered, folding his arms. "And such a thing will be dealt with in time. Once the city is conquered and occupied."
"Or maybe you're just putting it off." the jester suggested, grinning upon seeing the beastman seize up. "You heard the orders of your king. Someone MUST be chosen to partake in the ritual."
"I'm MORE than aware of the king's orders." the blonde, muscled man said gruffly, then turning to face the jester. "And I'm MORE than aware of just how strange it is that he's so receptive to the help of your so-called 'Master' all of a sudden. Neither he, let alone you, have said one word about our now sudden ally."
"Master is a very private individual." the jester explained in a low voice. "And at the moment, he's tending to some...personal matters." it was clear that Ludgar wasn't convinced. "But that's beside the point." the skinny being got back on track. "Orders or not, Master or not, the Mana Stones are key to your kingdom's dominion over the other nations. And to achieve this, sacrifices must be made. So to speak."
The beastman was silent for some time, the air rife with tension. And when he finally spoke, his voice was oddly soft. "As I said...that will be dealt with later."
Goremand sighed. This was getting nowhere. Master was placated now, yet if this operation failed, then the fact he had succeeded so far may not be accounted for. Thus, he had to push just a LITTLE bit further. "Perhaps you should consider Fureddie." Ludgar stopped at that, going away from the jester. "After all, is he not always complaining about getting guard duty? And so far, it's only over one person. It's not as if he's Molar, who has to oversee the whole city-ACK!" the jester found a clawed hand wrapped around his throat and himself lifted off the ground.
"Listen, and listen good, you twig-limbed clown." Ludgar snarled, bearing his sharpened teeth. "You may be a part of our cause now, along with your 'Master,' but make no mistake. YOU are not in charge of this operation. I am. And MY king had organized this long before you or your 'Master' came into the picture. This whole thing is for the benefit of OUR people, to pay those humans back for the years and years that they have looked down their noses at us and considered as less than human. To be no more intelligent, perhaps even less so than wild beasts." he brought Goremand closer, his golden eyes boring into the jester's darkened ones. "And when the time comes, the stone WILL be ours but make no mistake. NONE of my men, let alone anyone of our kind, will be offered as some sort of lamb to a floating rock, no matter what power it has. Understand?!"
Time to put on his acting mask again. "Y-Yes!" Goremand choked out, Ludgar holding him for another few moments before releasing him, the jester coughing out as if he had finally been able to breathe again. Oh please. As if he needed such things. Yet anything to provide the image of humility, the better.
"Good," Ludgar growled, turning away from the jester. "We will move for Wendel tomorrow." he began to walk away but stopped to face the jester again. "Don't you dare suggest such a thing again, lest your 'Master' need another servant." with that, he moved further down the hall, leaving Goremand alone and on the floor.
The jester looked on as the beastman went away, a crooked smile coming to his face. "You know, you're cute when you're all indigent like that." whatever, he thought. Let him and the other beastmen think they were in control. They would see in time. And by then, he and the Master would be too far in for anyone to do anything about it. And fine if the stupid brute wasn't willing to offer one of his own. Besides, Goremand had someone in mind as it was.
And given that this area held the Mana Stone of Light, it would be all the more fitting.
Cascade Cavern
"So, how'd she get to be here?" Hawkeye questioned, gesturing to Faerie.
"Duran here found me," she said. "And I was low on energy, so-"
"She invaded my head and won't leave." Faerie huffed, folding her arms.
Riesz stepped in, eager to ease the tension after the previous fiasco. "So...you're from Valsena?" she questioned; Duran nodded in response.
"Yep." he then pushed a bit of hair from his face, flipping it confidently. "Youngest in the whole guard."
"And you're from; where did you say, Alrant?" Angela nodded. "Isn't that in the vicinity of Altena?" Duran glanced at the purple-haired 'sorceress' (though, from what he had seen, he was having doubts).
"Well...yeah. But...it's kinda its own separate thing." Angela said, though truthfully, she had no idea. "But hey, I'm sure there are towns where you all are from that kind of do their own thing and don't have anything to do with the ruling kingdom aside from paying taxes and following their laws, right?"
"Totally," Hawkeye answered. "Hell, where I'm from, we live OUTSIDE the law entirely."
"That I can believe," Riesz stated. "Well, truth be told, there's a town near where I'm from. Port town called Palo. They're mainly just a fishing and shipping stop for most."
"There's also Maia and Beiser in Valsena," Duran mentioned, though he kept his eyes on Angela. "They're pretty much night and day from each other. Especially in their business practices."
She was becoming increasingly uncomfortable under his suspicious eye, the sorceress looking for anything to get his attention off her. "Hey, look! Light!"
Indeed, the warrior noted, as well as the Faerie. Heading towards the light, all four (five) of them broke their way through and outside the cave, the sun rising over Lake Astoria that lay in the distance, presenting to the group a sight of a collection of buildings and structures not too far away, the hallmark of it being a large, white temple that towered above all else.
Finally, they had reached it—the City of Wendel.
Cascade Cavern
Hm? Had she fallen asleep?
The haziness began to leave her; she sat up and stretched her body. "Oooh…" Charlotte moaned, sighing. The cave wall didn't provide the same comfort a mattress did, yet at least, in a way, she got some sleep. She must've drifted off when hiding from those creatures.
Seeing that there was nothing else around, the girl got up and began her trek back to Wendel, wherever that was.
She was only beginning to realize just how big of a mistake she had made simply going in here. Sure, she had known that this cavern had a path to the city, but much of it had been worn and torn up from age and the other residents of this place, all of which she had no wish to meet. Going down another hall, the girl looked around, the only primary sources of light around being the iridescent flowers that sprouted in various places. Odd that such things could grow in an environment like this. One of the few pleasant things that had been seen on this trip. That and the cherry pie. She could only hope that Elisa and Ralph were ok. And what of that one Werewolf that tackled the one attacking her? True, it bore the same attire and general appearance of the other transformed beastmen (then again, she didn't know if there could be too much of a difference between them, seeing as they all seemed to wear the same thing and all have loads of hair), but its actions spoke of a different story. It also appeared somewhat smaller than the others, muscled but leaner. And not to mention younger.
Well, whatever the case, they were probably long gone by now. And she had somewhere to be. The main thing that should've concerned her directly was what she was going to tell her grandfather when she got back. Very scarcely had she seen the older man legitimately angry, but it'd be now if there were ever a time for her to see it. Still, he would at least know about what happened to Heath. Then they could get a search party going and save him! Yeah, that was it! And, well, she probably would be grounded for the rest of her life, but at least Heath would be ok!
Wherever he was.
Please be ok, Heath. Charlotte thought as she continued down the darkened corridor. Please, please be ok.
Wendel
Despite the title of "city," the whole area was relatively closed in and smaller than any of the four imagined. Simple, tiny homes were constructed and laid out in a ring-like formation, all surrounding a collection of blooming, fertile flowers. The homes held individual qualities such as differently colored tiling, exteriors, and the general aesthetics, yet each had the theme that it was just enough. Not too extravagant, nor too minimal, only what one truly needed. The establishments, such as restaurants and inns, held the same thing, giving the feel of a humble, tight-knit community and people focusing on the more essential things in life that didn't revolve around sole materialism. The citizens that were out and about gave such a vibe from their clothing, many wearing simple shirts, trousers, and dresses, again, just what they needed. There seemed to be little differences between the haves and the have-nots, the four pondering whether or not such a thing even existed here. All in all, the feeling of the place was calm and reassuring as if to soothe and assure them that their journey was over.
Though when they entered through the gates that led to the city, the four immediately became the center of attention, everyone stopping what they were doing and looking at the group in complete shock.
"Who...who are you?" a young man questioned, having garnered the bravery to approach them. He was dressed in white robes, clearly belonging to the holy order of this place. "How did you get past the barrier?" the latter part of the question was dripping with alarm.
Despite finally reaching their destination, Duran, Angela, and Faerie couldn't deny that some of them regretted going the route they did. "We're here to see the Priest," Angela spoke up, more or less to distract herself from the present tension in the air. "He's in that big building over there, right?"
"You...you…" the holy man stammered, shaking his head and immediately making a beeline for the temple.
"What's got him all worked up?" Hawkeye questioned, noticing how uncomfortable Duran and Angela were looking. Faerie didn't emerge from her hiding place, but the soldier felt her shared unease.
"Perhaps...we made a mistake."
Cascade Cavern
"AHHH!" Charlotte hollered as she covered her head, pulling her hat down to block the incoming, swooping flying creatures on her tail. She didn't mean to get in this situation! All she did was throw just one rock to let off some steam! She didn't mean to disturb all these Batmos! Let alone make them so angry! Now they were, quite literally, out for her blood!
And wouldn't you know it, she got her foot caught on a rock and tripped.
The Batmos swooped down and surrounded the girl, a dark blue swarm encompassing her and clouding everything else around her. Charlotte struggled to get up, all the while trying to avoid being bitten, yet whenever she managed to move a few feet, the swarm would latch onto her again and keep up their assault. It was then that she heard running water ahead, and in the tiny spaces she could see amidst the number of Batmos; it appeared that it was a more open portion of the cavern. Whether that'd be the key to getting these things off her, she didn't know, but she was willing to try anything at the moment.
Getting to her feet, she stood up, hunched over due to the Batmos, and raced forward, keeping her head low and her feet running fast. She could make it! Nearly there! Just nearly there!
Wendel
The towering, white structure was before them, a testament to how far they had come and that, hopefully, their prayers would be answered. Still, despite the general setting, there was an unease in the air, not at all helped by the stares and chattering that went on between everyone as they passed by. Suddenly, the robed man that had rushed away from them had come to them again, going down many stairs to reach them. "I don't know how you managed to get here," he said, tone serious and a little frightened. "But...his Eminence is ready to see you."
Well, that was good. Sort of? Honestly, the calm that had perpetuated the area was slowly eroding when their presence had come to be known. Going up the numerous stairs and through the massive entrance to the temple, the four made their way down the red carpet that led through another large door, a large chamber complete with pews and large, stained glass windows greeting them as they entered. A silver, polished statue of a human's interpretation of the Mana Goddess stood behind an older man garbed in white robes.
"That must be him," Faerie said from inside Duran, the soldier, and everyone else not exactly rushing up and openly proclaiming their reasons for coming here. "Well?" she asked. "Go on, say hello."
"Easy for you to say," Duran whispered. He had been waiting for this, having left home for this. Yet now that it was right in front of him, he found himself stuck with cold feet, much to his shame. Just what was he so antsy for? He looked to the other three, all of them nodding in agreement. Then, with one step at a time, all four steadily approached the podium, the old man greeting them with warm yet knowledgeable eyes.
Outside Cascade Cavern
"There it is." Fureddie gestured to the entrance of the cave nestled behind the waterfalls. Ludgar nodded, looking to the party he had brought with him.
"You sure it's no longer there?" the blonde commander questioned.
"That's what some others said." the violet-haired beastman confirmed. "They were able to pass right through. So either it's weakened, or it's no longer there."
"How?" Ludgar questioned.
"That...I don't know." Fureddie admitted. "But it's gone. So that's what matters, right?"
He supposed. Still, Ludgar couldn't help but remember what that jester said. As he predicted, the barrier was lifted. He only wondered if that other part he told about the wall was genuine. And if so, who was this 'she' that lifted it? Either way, if the barrier was raised, then the invasion could begin as scheduled. "We'll go and see if the entrance to Wendel is also open." the head beastman said, turning to Fureddie. "I'll send a messenger to Jadd to report if it's a go. If it is, then prepare the Hell Riders."
"Will do." Fureddie answered, turning, but he stopped. "...am I on guard duty again?"
"What do you think?" Ludgar answered, clearly seeing the other beastman's disappointment. Yet as he did so, involuntarily, the jester's words returned to him.
"Ludgar?" the other beastman questioned, puzzled and somewhat unnerved by how his commander was looking at him. "Is...something wrong?"
"...no. Nothing," Ludgar answered. "Go back to Jadd. We shall report if the operation can continue. Now, off with you!"
Fureddie obeyed; he and several other beastmen had returned the way they came. As they went, Ludgar watched. No, he thought. That jester could find someone else. And while it was perhaps too soon to tell, he could've sworn that, since their last conversation, that creature had been pondering a potential candidate. He was most pleased with a candidate that, from the smile, he briefly saw, traced his features in passing.
Temple of Light
"May the Goddess bless you this day." the Priest of Light greeted, bowing. "What brings you here?"
Who to start? "Go on!" Faerie said to Duran. "Say something!"
Ok, fine! "Sir, er, Priest?"
"I believe it's 'His Eminence'" Riesz spoke up, but the old man shook his head. "Your Eminence, thank you for having an audience with us."
"Titles are but a mere pleasantry." the Priest of Light said. "We are all clothed in the same skin and bear the same blood."
Flowery language aside, Duran was the first to speak. "Well, Priest, my name's Duran. I'm a soldier from Valsena." the young man introduced. "And I'm here to ask you how I can get stronger."
The older man raised a thick brow. "Forgive me, my son, but I don't entirely understand what you mean."
"I mean, I need to become stronger," Duran emphasized. "Strong enough to defeat that Crimson Wizard!"
"Crimson Wizard?" the Priest of Light's eyes widened. "As in, the Wizard of the Red Lotus of Altena?"
"You know about him?" Duran was surprised.
"Indeed." the Priest of Light confirmed. "I have had dealings with Altena in the past. The famed head wizard is known to me. Once upon a time, during the Peddan War, I came to meet those from several nations. Yet tell me, for what reason do you wish to defeat this man?"
"Because…" Duran stammered, fists shaking. "Because…he…" he found himself unable to speak. Because he humiliated me. Because he disgraced my name to everyone. Because he also disgraced my father's name.
"Ok, seeing as you're done," Angela butted in, pushing the soldier to the side, observing the old man before her. "You don't look all that extraordinary to me." Riesz nearly had a heart attack. Where was this young woman's respect?! "But seeing as I'm here," she continued. "I need your help."
"Hey!" Duran exclaimed. "I was here first-mph!" Angela covered his mouth.
"I need to learn ma-" she stopped herself. "I mean, I need to learn how to become more powerful in magic."
"So, your quest is the same as this young man?" the Priest of Light asked, looking to Duran.
"Well...kinda, sorta. I guess?" Angela said, not exactly sure what to say. Suddenly, both of them were shoved out of the way, Hawkeye now at the podium.
"Your Eminence." the thief breathed out. "Boy, I'm glad to see you. I need your help."
'Indeed.' the old man thought, though he kept silent. "Speak, my son. What ails you?"
"There's…" Hawkeye paused. He remembered Isabella's words, so he had to tread carefully around this. "I have a friend. She's in danger. Do you…" he bit his lip. "Do you know anything about a curse that can be placed on a necklace?"
The Priest of Light was startled upon hearing this. "You sound like you speak of the Choker of Death," he said.
"Choker of Death?"
"It's an ancient tool, used in ancient torture methods. One's blood was applied to the stone, and an incantation and specific words were used as a trigger for it to activate. Should these words be spoken by the one whose blood was used to curse it, then the necklace shall strangle the wearer until death."
Hawkeye's blood ran cold. "Then...then what can be done about it? What can break a curse like that?"
The Priest of Light sighed, knowing well that the young man wouldn't like the answer he would hear. "Its methods in creating one were forbidden, so whoever created the one you speak of has unearthed or knows knowledge that is no longer recorded in any earthly texts. So, a counter to it is lost as well."
"What?" Hawkeye said, flabbergasted. "But...but…"
"If I may," Riesz asked, having grown impatient, but was determined to at least show some semblance of control in front of such a renowned figure. "Your Eminence, I hail from Laurant."
"Laurant?" The older man was surprised to hear this. "My, to have traveled so far! What brings you here?"
"It…" she tried not to do so, yet she shot a glance in the thief's direction. "Nevarlian fiends have invaded. The kingdom...has fallen."
"Laurant?! Fallen?!" the holy man exclaimed, losing his former composure. "If this is true, this is surely yet another sign!"
'Sorry,' Faerie said from inside her host. 'But I can't wait anymore!' the old man nearly had a heart attack upon seeing the winged woman manifest from seemingly nowhere. "Please, your Eminence!"
"A...a Faerie?" the old man stared, mouth agape.
"Yes." Faerie nodded. "I'm from the Mana Holyland! I need your help! The Mana Tree...it's withering!"
Now he had nearly had a heart attack. "This…" the old man trembled, despite himself. "These are dark times indeed. A faerie from the Holyland...this is a terrible warning! If the Tree withers, then Mana shall disappear from the world! And the seals on the Mana Stones...the Beasts! They shall be released!"
All four of them were confused, but the words of the old fortune-teller came to Duran's mind. Eight Spirits, eight Stones, eight Beasts…
"Benevo-what?" Angela asked.
"The Benevodons!" Faerie then exclaimed. "Surely you know of them! The ancient beasts that were once thought to be gods themselves!" she stopped. "Or has knowledge like that been lost too?" she only received puzzled looks from everyone. "Well...either way, this can't happen! So the Tree MUST be saved!"
The Priest of Light sighed, finally calming down, though it was clear that he was far from at ease. "Then...perhaps it is time."
Everyone was again puzzled. "Time for what?" Hawkeye questioned.
"Who is the one that this faerie has bonded to?" Everyone looked to Duran. "Then it is you, my son."
"For what?"
"It is you. It seems you have been selected out of so many." the older man said. "You are to be the wielder of the Sword."
Cascade Cavern
One moment, she was pounding her boots on the ground; the next, she felt nothing under her feet.
Then, she fell.
Charlotte wailed and flailed her entire body as she plummeted, only grabbing the edge of a naturally formed bridge mere seconds before she would've fallen right down into the falls below. The blonde girl wriggled and tried to hoist herself up, yet found that the already smooth stone made her grip more difficult to maintain.
"AAH!" she hollered involuntarily. "HEWP ME!" She screamed to no one, knowing subconsciously that no one was coming, yet still, she couldn't help herself. "PWEASE! HUWWY!" she slipped, though not enough to fall. Yet it would only be a matter of time now. She tried fruitlessly to pull herself up, yet any progress she made was set back as her tiny body was sent down. She couldn't hold on! "N-NOOO!" Charlotte scrambled and moved her fingers to get a grip.
Yet for naught, as it wasn't enough. Her hold was gone, and she found herself plummeting downward.
Wendel
"The Sword?" Duran questioned. "What sword?" he then looked to Faerie. "What is he talking about?"
"The Sword of Mana." The Priest of Light said. "The Holiest of Weapons. The embodiment of the power of Mana. And the vessel of great power." he continued. "It is an alternate form of the Golden Wand that the Goddess Herself used to create the world from chaos and darkness." no one knew why, yet as the old man spoke, an image came to be seen. A massive towering tree rested in a lake of pure, clean water. The cleanest of water, sparkling in the rays of the sun. Roots unrivaled by all trees and flora in the world, covered in moss, welcoming all life forms to take nourishment and protection in its shade and on its strong wood. And nestled in the roots of this tree was a single blade. A blade that couldn't exactly be visualized entirely, yet there was no mistaking its significance. "It is told that in times of crisis, one shall draw it from its place and save the world from disaster. And it seems," he gestured to Duran. "That one is you."
The entirety of the temple grew silent, the calm ambiance speckled with tension washing over everyone. No one said a word for the longest time; they absorbed what was just said to them until finally, Duran spoke up. "No." he shook his head. "I...I didn't come here for this!" He looked to Faerie. "You never said ANYTHING about ANY of this!"
"I...I'm sorry." the winged woman sighed. "But please, you must understand! I didn't have a choice! I need help! The Tree...the Goddess Herself needs help!"
"Then why can't She help Herself?" Angela asked, Faerie gasping.
"Don't insult Her in such a way!" She then turned to Hawkeye and Riesz. "Please, this is no time to argue! The world is at stake here!"
"I...this...sorry little lady, but this is a little too much." the thief sighed, still taken aback by what was said.
"This...this has nothing to do with what I came here for." the princess shook her head.
"You all act like this doesn't affect you!" the Priest of Light suddenly said, voice firm, moving from the gentle tone he had before. "This Faerie is right! If she has come from the Mana Holyland, this is a time of crisis! The world is in peril! If Mana is depleted from the world and the Benevodons are awakened, then the world will be destroyed!"
"You're saying this to just a bunch of people that came to you for help!" Duran exclaimed. "I didn't come here for this! I didn't come here for any of this!" he slammed his hand on the podium, flabbergasted and enraged at what was being told to him. "This...this is just nuts."
"Duran, please-" Faerie began but was cut off.
"No!" he shouted. "You and you," he pointed to the Priest. "You're not dragging me or anyone else into this! No." he sighed, clearly fuming. "Just no." With that, he turned and made his leave from the chamber, leaving the three alone with the Priest, the Faerie following her host and sadly fading into him.
Angela looked to the Priest, then to the chamber's exit, and left. Hawkeye clenched his fist and looked to the ground before leaving. Riesz was gone along with the older man, clearly disappointed, but still, she bowed. "Thank you for your time, your Eminence. But…" she looked to the exit. "I believe I should be going too." the amazon then made her leave, the Priest alone in the chamber, a heavy sigh exiting him.
I'm sorry, dear children. he inwardly lamented. Yet it seems that you've been chosen, like it or not.
Cascade Cavern
At least, she would've plummeted.
"Gotcha!" had not a hand seized her wrist. Instead, Charlotte was pulled up, looking upon her rescuer with widened blue eyes. "You ok?" he asked, the girl still shivering.
"Y-Yeah." she stammered, shaking and clutching onto the leg of her rescuer. But then, it was when she noticed the particular style of his pants and the rest of his appearance and attire. "You...you'we one of the beastmen!"
"No, wait!" the young beastman pleaded. "Y-Yes. I'm...one of them. But I'm not with them! Honest!"
Charlotte stopped briefly, further surveying the tan-skinned, blonde-haired young man. His eyes, compared to the other beastmen she had seen, were wide and, despite his size compared to hers, innocent looking. He also bore a leaner build and shorter stature. She didn't know why, but her mind turned to the Werewolf she had seen in Astoria. The one that had thrown itself into the fray to protect her. "Ok," she said. "I bewieve you." she said, hugging him again. "Th-Thanks. If you hadn't been hewe, it wouwd've been bye-bye Chawwotte!"
"Charlotte? That your name?" the young beastman asked.
"Yeah," Charlotte confirmed. "And you?"
"Kevin." he responded, Charlotte giggling.
"Kevin? Hee hee! That's a funny name!" she then covered her mouth. "Oh, sowwy."
"It's ok," he admitted. "Yeah. Rather funny for a beastman. Sorta."
"Anyway, whatcha doing hewe?" the girl questioned.
"On my way to Wendel," Kevin confessed. "To see the Priest of Light."
"Oh! You mean Gwandpa?" Charlotte asked. "Weww, wucky for you, you'we wooking at the Maiden of Wendew wight hewe!" she flipped her hair and gave a small curtsey.
"The Priest is your grandfather?" Kevin questioned, Charlotte nodding.
"Yeah! And twitch be towd, I was twying to get back mysewf." she then looked around anxiously. "But...it's kinda scawy in hewe…" she was puzzled when she saw Kevin kneel to her.
"Then I'll go with you," he told her. Such innocent eyes...Karl's eyes...there was no second-guessing it. He couldn't simply leave this girl on her own. "Little girls shouldn't be on their own."
"Wittwe?!" Charlotte huffed. "I'ww have you know I'm fifteen yeaws owd! I'm pwaticawwy an aduwt!"
"Fi-Fifteen?!" Kevin exclaimed, taken aback. There was no WAY that this girl was around his age.
"Yes indeedie!" the blonde girl proclaimed. "I'm hawf ewf! So I might wook a wittwe smaww. But I heawd that I'm wucky, because winkwes won't come for a wong time."
Well, that was somewhat true. Though, Kevin kind of wondered why women cared about such things. Perhaps it was simply because there weren't all that many women in the castle or on the grounds, yet the whole area was foreign to him. Nevertheless, this girl, fifteen or not, was far too small and vulnerable for him to leave her alone simply. He gestured to his back; she curiously looked at him to ensure it was ok. With a nod of his head, she wasted no time hopping on; he hoisted her up and standing. "Ok!" she cheered, pointing forward. "Onwawd, wecwuit!"
Wait. "Recruit?"
Note: The boss battle is coming up in the next chapter! Big thank you to all my readers! I'm currently planning on how to proceed ahead as there will be some alterations and differences to make room for many plot lines and clean up some inconsistencies. There will also be references to other games in the series (while it's not official, and it's said that, unless stated otherwise, each game is their separate continuity, but there is a theorized timeline).
With that said, here's hoping I've intrigued you to tune in next time!
