It was a warm and sunny afternoon in Cephiro, with birds singing in the air and a few fluffy white clouds giving the occasional shade. The grassy plains were dotted in white and blue flowers and the nearby forests were lush and green. A gentle breeze swayed the leaves and moved the clouds at a slow and steady pace, with an occasional butterfly flying by.
At the patio garden of their large yet secluded mansion, Alcyone and Hotaru were spending the afternoon. Alcyone was tending to her herb plantations and the rest of her garden, while Hotaru sat under a large tree, reading a book. A small natural spring was burbling in their garden, snaking its way down out of the patio to the outside world.
Once Alcyone finished her work, she walked over to a white set of patio furniture, and poured two glasses of freshly squeezed juice from a crystal ewer. She brought one over to Hotaru who accepted it with a smile, before she sat down next to him. Leaning against the tree, they both relaxed to take an afternoon nap, until they heard the laughter of children in the distance.
As she opened her eyes and spread her arms to receive her children, everything turned dark. The lights and sounds were all gone, and her eyelids felt heavy. Alcyone slowly opened her eyes, her red lips already curled up into a gentle smile, sensing a familiar warmth next to her. Though she was usually in a foul mood when waking up from a nice dream, this time reality wasn't quite as disappointing.
Looking out the window, she could see very faint starlight pouring into the shelter, with the occasional flash of lightning. The room they slept in was dark and cramped, but with Hotaru next to her, it may as well have been the entire world. She turned over and stroked his thick brown hair, thinking back on her dream.
My dreams were much more opulent and wilder when I dreamt of Zagato, but always seemed so distant. With Hotaru, I can tell it is different. As long as he is by my side, that dream is nothing short of a promise of the future.
Once fully awake, Alcyone slowly turned on the lights of the shelter, which seemed to breathe life to the colorful décor. As she got up from the bed, she heard Hotaru stirring in his sleep, as he squeezed his eyes shut due to the bright lights.
"It's time to wake up dear, we have a long journey ahead of us today," she spoke to him lovingly.
"Nnnngh… five more minutes," Hotaru groaned, rolling onto his stomach, burying his face in the pillow.
"Very well," she chuckled, "but I will get to choose what we have for breakfast then."
A muffled voice echoed from the pillow, "Surprise me…"
Five minutes later, Alcyone was already preparing breakfast, having woken Mokona up from its nest. With her admission, Hotaru was still laying in bed, but the young man was already awake, staring at the ceiling. They exchanged a few pleasantries and Alcyone shared with Hotaru a little bit about her dream.
"I must say a life like that would be wonderful," Hotaru admitted, leaning against the headboard with two pillows under him. "Though I do wonder what I will be doing once Cephiro is back to normal."
"What do you mean?" Alcyone asked, finishing their breakfast. "If you are talking about work, I am sure I can provide for the both of us."
Hotaru shook his head, "You don't need to spoil me to that extent. Besides, I will probably go insane if I don't have an actual job."
Alcyone let out a short giggle, "I always knew you were dutiful, but I didn't know you were such a diligent worker as well."
"Far from it!" Hotaru renounced the notion. "I like lazing around, but there is no appeal to it if there is no work to be done. Besides, I feel guilty enough having you cater to me this way in the morning."
While listening to Hotaru, Alcyone plated their breakfast onto two large plates, which she then placed atop a red tray. She then carried the tray over to the bed.
"I know exactly how you feel," Alcyone smiled, handing the tray over to Hotaru. "Sitting around doing nothing is far different from inability to do anything. But right now, I am just happy to be of use to someone I love."
As Alcyone sat down next to Hotaru, she pulled the tray on top of their legs, before nuzzling against his left arm. They both grabbed what Hotaru could only describe as a Cephiroan version of egg rolls and began to eat. At this point, Mokona hopped down from the kitchen island, and bounced over to the bed.
"You want some too, Mokona?" Hotaru asked, offering an egg roll.
"Pupu-puu!" Mokona chirped, the gem on its forehead shining bright lilac color.
Before they could react, Mokona projected a circular image of Master Mage Clef in front of them. Alcyone quickly straightened her posture on the bed, while Hotaru sucked in his gut. The image of the purple haired 745-year-old kid looked serious at first, before his expression soured almost instantly.
"WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK YOU ARE DOING!" Clef yelled at them loudly, causing the bed to shake.
"M-Master, it's not what it looks like!" Alcyone stuttered almost instinctively in shock.
"Then what is it supposed to look like?!" Clef asked, angrier than usual. "I told you to bring Mokona over as soon as possible, and yet there you are, lying in bed, in your underwear, snacking!"
"Look, calm down Clef!" Hotaru raised his hand defensively. "I don't know what time it is… in general, but we are just having a quick breakfast before continuing our journey. We will be there this afternoon, I promise."
"It already is afternoon over here! …I think," Clef shook his head frustratedly. "Just hurry up already. I would personally teleport over to you, but I don't know where you are exactly."
"Understood, we will be on our way," Alcyone nodded respectfully.
Once Clef cut the connection, they both let out a sigh of relief, leaning against the bed's headboard. Mokona hopped on top of the bed and grabbed itself an eggroll, before starting to munch on it.
Staring at the white bunny blob eating, Hotaru asked Alcyone, "Did your dream include Mokona in it?"
"It did not."
"Good."
Cutting the connection to Mokona, Clef sat into his chair and let out a deep sigh. While Hotaru and Alcyone had all the comforts of a home, he had spent the last few days inside a leather tent. Granted it was a large tent with separate walls and roof, with a proper bed, desk, and chair inside it. From the central support hung a small lantern and the entrance of the tent was covered by a large piece of cloth. Though his dwelling couldn't be called luxurious, it was better than what most people had, and for someone of his stature, it was quite spacious.
"How can they be so carefree during a time like this…" Clef muttered to himself.
Having been freed from Zagato's spell (twice) he had been shocked to find Cephiro already so far gone. However, with Lafarga, Presea, Sierra, and Ferio, as well as Caldina and Ascot by his side already, they had quickly gotten to work. While Presea's group had mainly focused on freeing Clef, they had already marked down several settlements of refugees. Lafarga had also gathered together a large quantity of refugees, before meeting up with Ferio.
Clef himself had teleported to all the former major settlements of Cephiro, looking for any survivors. Yesterday alone, he had brought over more than ten thousand refugees, using his Mass Teleportation spell over and over again. Due to exhausting himself yesterday, he was now trying to relax.
"M-Master Mage Clef," a female voice interrupted his rest.
He turned around in his chair, trying to keep a calm demeanor, "What is it, Presea?"
A tall blonde woman with an orange dress and beige blacksmith's apron was peeking through the entrance of his door. Fifteen years ago, Clef had requested Presea to stay inside an old mansion in the Forest of Silence, safe from Zagato. She had never complained about this, but he could tell the isolation had affected her people skills. Every time they talked, Presea stuttered, could barely look him in the eye, and had an awkward air about her. Otherwise, her personality had stayed the same as far as he could tell.
Presea cleared her throat, "…Captain Lafarga has brought in another group of refugees. W-We need you to write their names down for the census and designate them a safe area to live."
Hearing this, Clef almost melted in his chair as he slumped down. He knew he had been the one to insist on keeping the census to be sure of its accuracy. But at this point each new refugee was like a punishment for his past shortcomings. While having so many refugees was good for securing Cephiro's future, numbers came with their own problems.
"Please tell me it is a small group…" Clef groaned.
"Ummm… is one hundred a small group?" Presea tilted her head awkwardly.
"…At least he didn't bring in five hundred this time."
Seeing how tired Clef was, Presea suggested, "Perhaps you should allow someone else to take the census? I'm sure you can afford to continue your rest for a hundred refugees."
"Not possible," he shook his head. "As the Master Mage, I am the highest remaining authority on Cephiro, and that means the highest responsibility."
"What about Prince Ferio?" Presea inquired.
"He is a prince only in formality at this point," Clef shook his head. "Also, his penmanship is so bad I have my suspicions on him being literate."
"I guess that is true," Presea smiled stiffly.
Getting up from his chair with his staff, Clef followed Presea out of the tent into the outside world. For their safe haven, Clef and the others had chosen the Ford Vale; an almost perfectly round valley surrounded by tall mountains. It was situated at the center of Cephiro's largest continent, which Clef knew to also be the most stable.
Only two days ago the valley had been completely barren, but now, thousands of tents covered its vast landscape. Most of the tents were simple tarps suspended over a few sticks and a rope. The largest and most durable tents were reserved for storing supplies, medical bays, and makeshift kitchens. Among the tents moved around three hundred thousand refugees.
Children, adults, elderly, youngsters, warriors, magicians, hunters, healers, summoners, sorcerers, illusionists, and artisans, were all mingling together. With Cephiro's natural resources dwindled and everything remaining rationed out, people didn't have much energy to waste. So instead, they all tried to stay positive by talking to each other and to find some sense of security in each other.
This wasn't the first time Clef had seen a sight like this. Over four hundred years ago, before Princess Emeraude had been chosen as the new pillar; Cephiro had been in a similar situation. Between the previous pillar being slain by Magic Knights and a new pillar being chosen, the people had gathered in this same valley. However, last time the valley had still been lush and green and had a spring running through it. In addition, they had around ten times the number of refugees. Zagato's fifteen-year war had truly pushed Cephiro to its limits.
Since Cephiro's continued survival hung in the balance of its people's hearts, this was information he could not share with anyone. For there to be any chance of a new pillar being chosen, he needed everyone to stay strong. He had a plan to improve everyone's living conditions, but warmth and shelter could only get them so far. To keep their supplies from running out, he needed resources. He needed Mokona.
As Clef and Presea walked past the refugees, many of them greeted him, some of them even bowing to him. Before the war, Master Mage Clef had been a name everyone had heard of, but a man few had ever seen. Now, he, and everyone else the Magic Knights had met and fought on their journey, were Cephiro's greatest protectors and celebrities. The people's greatest source of hope.
"Step right up everyone! Step right up!" an energetic voice beckoned people over. "Place ya bets and let the dice decide if you win!"
Looking in the direction of the voice, a large crowd of men of all ages had gathered around one of the tents. In the center of the crowd, a beautiful, pink haired, dark skinned, scantily clad woman was sitting on a chair in front of a small table. She wore a black turtleneck that left her midriff exposed, with gold plating beneath. She also wore a red cape, red-jeweled earrings and gloves, and skin-tight see-through leggings.
In her hands she held a cup and two dice, and next to her on the table, there was a large pile of gold coins. A few men approached and placed their bets, with Caldina placing her own bet that matched that of the men. She threw the dice into the cup, shook it, and slammed it against the table. As she pulled away the cup, it revealed two ones.
"Snake eyes, house wins," Caldina announced regretfully.
"Oh, come on!" the players groaned.
"This is the eighteenth time in a row!" someone yelled from the crowd.
As Caldina collected her winnings (around 16 gold coins) she spotted Clef staring at her disappointingly over the crowd. Knowing it was a bad idea to upset the Master Mage, she quickly gathered up her winnings.
To calm down the crowd, she struck a series of sexy poses, "And with that ya'll ultra-pretty, nice-bodied hostess shall close the casino for today!"
As if entranced by her movements, the crowd slowly dispersed, none of them seeming too bothered by losing. Clef wondered if Caldina was mind controlling the crowd, or if the fact that money these days didn't have any value was the reason. In any case, he could not let such parlor tricks stand.
"Caldina," he addressed her once the crowd left, "as one of Cephiro's remaining protectors, I wish you wouldn't scam people of their money like this."
"It's not a scam, it's pure luck," Caldina defended herself, placing a hand on her hip. "Besides, these people don't got much going for them, so I offer them games to keep them busy."
Clef sighed, understanding her point of view, but not agreeing with it, "Why not dance for them instead? I was told you were a dancer in addition to being an illusionist. It would be better if you allowed them to just pay for you to dance instead of wasting money."
Looking behind the short mage, Caldina could see Presea blushing and pouting as Clef suggested this. She had already heard from Sierra that Presea had feelings for Clef, but the blacksmith still hadn't confessed her feelings. Caldina tried to hold back her amusement, but couldn't help but let out a giggle and a wink.
"I am saving those talents for later," she said while posing sexily. "No matter how good looking a dancer is, people will get bored if they see her performance too many times. Now if yer asking for a private performance, I'm…"
"We should be going now, Master Clef," Presea hurried him along.
"I know! I know!" Clef said repeatedly, belling pulled by his hand.
Once they left, Caldina whispered to herself, "…afraid I only give those to one person anymore."
Continuing their merry way to the edge of Ford Vale, Clef and Presea came across another crowd, this one made up of children. The kids all seemed to be between ages five and twelve, and were sitting on rocky ground in a large ring. At the center of the ring, stood a green-haired young man with a simple beige outfit, who seemed to be telling a story.
"…and as she knocked back her arrow, she placed all her heart into it, and managed to pierce the evil stone!"
"Oooooh!" the kids all gasped.
A blonde boy raised his hand, "Were the other Magic Knights also as cool?"
"Yes!" an orange-haired, green-eyed girl said. "I saw one of them shoot fire from her hand and the other summon a dragon!"
"Wow!"
"What about their bodyguard?" one of the older boys asked. "Did he ever do anything cool?"
Ferio nodded, "I heard from a reliable source that he was the first person to ever punch Zagato in the face."
Hearing the children gasping again, Clef couldn't help but smile at the scene. It had been hundreds of years since Clef had last seen Ferio. Back then, he had been but a small child, whose older sister had been chosen as Cephiro's new pillar. Despite being so young, the boy had made a selfless request to make Emeraude's job easier. He had asked Emeraude to erase both of their memories of each other, so that they wouldn't miss each other. It warmed Clef's heart to see that that boy had grown into such a fine young man.
"He also grew giant sized after falling into lava and helped me break Master Mage Clef out of Zagato's control!" Ferio said proudly, pointing towards himself with his thumb.
"Ooooh!" the children gasped, as Clef facepalmed at Ferio's fabrications.
"You made that last part up!" one of the kids stated.
Clef and Ferio were both shocked to hear a mere child to have such insight on the story, before he added, "There's no way anyone could grow giant from falling into lava!"
Both of the multi-centennial youngsters fell over upon hearing this, after which Ferio got back up, "Ahem, alright I confess, you got me there. …Oh! Master Clef, how are you doing?"
"Judging the younger generation," Clef rubbed his face, before turning towards Ferio. "Make sure to stay accurate in your stories. Our witness accounts on the Magic Knights' adventures are the only historical record that exists on them."
Understanding what he meant, Ferio took a more serious pose and bowed down, "Very well, Master Clef."
As Clef and Presea continued their journey, Presea asked, "If preserving the integrity of their story is important, are you going to ask Captain Hotaru for a detailed account of their journey?"
"Since when was he a captain?"
Before Presea had time to answer the question, they heard an angry voice yelling out, "We told you before, keep those monsters away from our children!"
Turning around, they saw one of the very few areas in the valley not covered in tents. It was a large area that had been fenced off by a meter high wooden fence. In the pen, there were several monsters and magical beasts inside it. These included Clef's gryphon as well as his flying fish, but also a bunch of far scarier looking monsters. In front of the fence gate, a crowd of middle-aged women had gathered and were having an argument with a teenage boy in a large black hat.
"It is none of our fault if your kids keep coming over to play with them!" the brown-haired youth yelled out. "Besides, these guys are harmless and well behaved!"
The tallest of the women walked in front of the crowd, looking down on the summoner, "And how do you expect us to be able to trust that these beasts can behave?"
Being spoken to with great authority, the young summoner stuttered, "I-I… well… t-they are…"
Just as Clef was about to step in, the youngster yelled out bravely, "A-At least they are better behaved than you lot!"
The women were all taken aback by this outrageous outcry, with even Clef and Presea being surprised by Ascot's brazenness. As the debate kept getting heated up, Clef sighed deeply. As he too was a proud summoner of magnificent beasts, he knew how hard it was for others to accept them. For someone like Ascot, whose beasts were far more vicious looking than his own, it must have been an even greater struggle. But even so, he did seem to hold his ground admirably.
"He sure learned a lot from that Umi girl," a sweet voice spoke out from behind them.
To Clef's and Presea's surprise, Caldina was standing behind them, her arms crossed casually. She was smiling at Ascot, before looking at the two of them with a confused expression, as if asking why they stopped.
"W-Why are you following us, Caldina?" Presea asked, feeling slightly insecure.
"Oh well, ya see, I heard from the guards that y'all are going to see Lafarga," Caldina answered, tilting her head slightly, before quickly adding, "since he brought in more refugees! I just want to have a glance at the new faces."
Clef sighed, knowing it was easier to just let her come along than to deny her, "Very well, but try not to come too strong on the newcomers. They just arrived so they must be scared and probably hurt."
With Caldina accepting the terms and conditions, they continued on ahead. On their way they greeted many other refugees, with Clef even checking up on the wellbeing of those in the sickbay. Fever and injuries were common these days, so healers and medicine makers had their hands full.
Once they reached the valley's northern entrance, they saw a crowd of over hundred people. The crowd was full of people from all walks of life, from rag wearing beggars to wealthy-looking merchants. Despite seeing new targets that she could make good money off of later, Caldina's eyes were more focused on the figure at the center of the crowd.
Being over two meters tall and wearing blue armor, Lafarga stood out and towered over the refugees, making him easy to pick out among them. As they got closer, they saw other armored figures in the crowd. These were former town guards and knights, who Lafarga had taken under his wing as new royal guard. As far as Clef knew, this had been their first mission together.
"Master Mage Clef," Lafarga greeted the mage half his height politely, bowing his head. "We have successfully returned from the south western corners of the continent."
"I am glad to see that," Clef smiled, looking at the new refugees. "Did you manage to recover any supplies on your journey?"
A woman, dressed in the clothes of a miller, said, "We used up most of our food and water to get here. We only have enough leftovers to feed sixteen people at most."
"All of our crops withered away along with Cephiro," one of the merchants said. "I would eat my own wealth were it to do any good for me."
As Caldina was about to suggest a better use for his wealth, she spotted something behind Lafarga. A tuft of familiar looking blonde hair was approaching him. Turning to her side, she saw Presea still next to her, so Caldina decided to march into the group herself. Shoving people out of the way, she soon spotted Presea's twin sister, Sierra. She looked fully identical to her older sister, with the only difference being that the colors of her outfit were inverted.
"Ah, Sierra, I was hoping to bump into you," Lafarga said with a smile.
"I can tell, I managed to finish my work just in time to meet up with you," Sierra smiled back.
Did I miss my chance? Caldina's heart sank.
As she watched with cold feet, she saw Sierra handing an object wrapped in cloth of some kind over to Lafarga. As he unwrapped the present, it turned out to be a curved sword, which Caldina recognized as Lafarga's own.
"Aaah, it looks good as new now," Lafarga admired his weapon. "Thank you for taking care of my sword."
"It was no problem," Sierra brushed it off. "When you said you hadn't had your sword mended in fifteen years, I was expecting it to be a much greater undertaking. Escudo weapons truly are remarkable."
Lafarga nodded, "That they truly are. Oh, Caldina, was there something you wanted to talk about?"
Still overwhelmed by her emotions, Caldina quickly tried to calm down, "Oh I was just coming over to see if ya'll made it back safely and all that! Oh, and to help Clef with his paperwork!"
"I see, it is good to see you put in so much effort for everyone's sake," Lafarga smiled at her warmly.
Clef raised an eyebrow to this, but didn't say anything, as he could use any help he could get. With all said, he summoned a small desk and chair, as well as a large tome that he used for the census. With Presea and Caldina helping him out, writing down the names of all one hundred refugees was easier. While he wasn't too keen on Caldina's overly flamboyant handwriting, it was still eligible enough.
Once they were finished, Clef, Presea, and Sierra decided to show the refugees where they would be staying in the valley. Caldina and Lafarga went the opposite direction, with Caldina offering to share a bottle of wine with Lafarga. However, before they could split, a young man wearing a gray suit of armor ran over to them.
"Captain Lafarga! Emergency!" he panted desperately.
Lafarga turned around with a snap, "What is it soldier?"
The soldier stopped in front of them, catching his breath before answering, "The scouts report sightings of an enormous flying monster with a single glowing eye heading this way!"
"What did you say?" Clef gasped, before turning towards everyone else. "Warn everyone! Tell them to take cover inside the main tents and in the monster pens!"
"Right!" Presea, Sierra, and Caldina all nodded at once.
"Gather round men!" Lafarga commanded his troops. "Just as we practiced, spearmen in front, swordsman in the middle, and archers in the back!"
With a large makeshift bell made out of a ladle and a cauldron ringing, everyone got up off the ground and out of their tents. All three hundred thousand refugees started running about in a panicked but (with the leadership of Cephiro's finest) orderly fashion. In less than five minutes, everyone had been gathered in easy to defend locations and knew what to do in a case of emergency.
Clef, Lafarga, and Ascot all kept their eyes on the skies, using magical means to observe and communicate between groups. Approximately ten minutes after the alarm had been rang, Ascot's beetle drones picked up on a fast-moving target.
"There! It is headed over from the east!" he yelled out.
Clef, Lafarga, Caldina, and Ferio turned towards the eastern side of the valley. Ready with their weapons and spells, they were all blinded by lightning, just as a ginormous figure flew over the mountains. It was humanoid in shape and had a white glowing eye in the middle of its chest. The creature made no sounds but its movements echoed like thunder. After slowing down, it descended slowly, its body coming into full view.
"Unbelievable…" Clef sighed deeply, before shouting, "False alarm everyone! It's Hotaru!"
Hearing Clef's voice, the others put down their weapons and calmed down. Seeing their superiors lower their guard, the warriors, summoners, and sorcerers did the same. With their defenders relaxing, the refugees came out from hiding. While it was dark, they could see that the creature they had thought was a monster, was in fact a giant man. Wearing dark silver armor, with golden decorations, and lime-green orbs, he towered over everything else in the valley, aside from the mountains.
"People of Cephiro, we come in peace!" Hotaru announced with a booming voice.
Before they had time to ask questions, the giant figure began to shrink. As he did, they noticed a woman with long black hair riding on his shoulder, who hopped down next to him. In her arms, she carried a small white creature.
Back to his regular size, Hotaru walked over to Clef and the others, "All jokes aside, we tell you we're coming and THIS is the welcoming committee?"
"Hotaru!" they yelled out, with many of them rushing over.
Presea, Caldina, Sierra, Ferio, and Ascot all rushed over, hugging him tightly. Although Hotaru had quipped about the cold reception, he hadn't expected to receive such a warm one. While he was happy, it was also awkward with everyone watching. As he tried nudging others away gently, Lafarga and Clef came over to him as well.
"Why are you still here, boss?" Ferio asked, letting go of him. "Also, that giant form, way cool!"
"Did he never tell you before?" Caldina asked. "He was planning on staying in Cephiro from the get go."
Presea's eyes widened as she heard this, "Really? I am surprised you still wanted to stay after everything that happened."
"Call it a sunk cost fallacy," Hotaru shrugged, before turning around. "Besides, it's not like I could have taken her with me."
Alcyone, who had been all but ignored by the others, stood little ways behind Hotaru, still holding Mokona. She had admired how many friends Hotaru had managed to make during his journey, unwilling to interrupt them. But now that they were all staring at her, she felt even more singled out. As Mokona spotted Presea, it jumped out of her arms over to its old caretaker.
"Long time no see, Mokona," Presea smiled as Mokona jumped in her arms. "And long time no see you too, Alcyone."
"Presea," Alcyone stared back at her.
Seeing sparks flying as the two women stared each other down, Hotaru leaned over to Sierra, "So… what is up with those two?"
Sierra leaned in and whispered, "They have a bit of history. Presea was doing her apprenticeship to Cephiro's former master blacksmith around the same time as Alcyone was learning under Master Mage Clef. The two masters met from time to time and Alcyone tended to flaunt her position over Presea's."
"I see… and I guess Alcyone betraying Clef didn't sit well with Presea either," Hotaru assumed.
"That's right," Sierra nodded, before raising an eyebrow. "…You know about Clef and Presea?"
Cold sweat began to run down Hotaru's neck, but luckily for him, Clef spoke out, "Hotaru, Alcyone, I am glad that you have both arrived. With your help and Mokona, we can finally start preparing a proper home for all of these people."
Before Hotaru could reply to this, Alcyone walked over in front of Clef, kneeling before him. With her white cape and black hair covering most of her body, she placed her hand on her chest and looked up at the short mage. Everyone nearby who knew Alcyone, were shocked to see this, as she had only ever bowed to one other person in her life.
"Master Mage Clef," she spoke out loud and clear, looking into his eyes sharply, "I, Alcyone Subaru, sincerely apologize for my betrayal. I am willing to accept any punishment you and the people of Cephiro deem necessary."
Clef was silent for a moment, before speaking with heavy words, "Alcyone, I forgive you. As your master I too carry responsibility for your actions, and thus cannot be the one to choose your punishment. The people of Cephiro will decide upon that when the right time comes."
While unhappy with this response, Alcyone knew she couldn't complain, "Very well…"
Seeing the situation, Hotaru spoke out, "Speaking of that Clef, I was just—"
"Master Mage Clef!" an alarmed voice yelled out.
Clef and Hotaru watched as a young blonde man dressed in light blue armor ran over. He was running at full speed, as if being chased by wild beasts. As he reached them, he panted heavily while speaking.
"Scout Crider from the third division!" the young man introduced himself quickly. "I sent a message about a monster coming this way, has it been dealt with?"
Clef exhaled before calmly speaking, "Your diligence is appreciated, but it turns out that the monster was just an old ally of ours."
"Yeah, sorry if I scared everyone," Hotaru apologized halfheartedly, in truth having enjoyed his entrance. "Anyway, as I was saying—"
"But the monster looked nothing like him!" the scout interrupted him again. "Or does he have wings?"
"Wings?" Clef and Hotaru asked in unison.
As everyone went silent, they could hear the sound of beating wings in the air. This was followed by a deep, bellowing roar in the wind that echoed from beyond the mountains. Soon, from behind the dark clouds, a massive monster descended down.
It had a muscular, crudely humanoid body with ginormous leather wings. It had three long claws on each foot and four claws in both hands. Its body was covered in short brown fur with jagged stripes running across its chest and abdomen. From its arms, shoulders, and legs, grew several bony spikes and at the tip of a relatively thin tail, it had a hook-shaped stinger. Its head was small compared to its body, as consisted of a mouth full of jagged sharp teeth and a single, giant, red glowing eye with a vertical black pupil.
As it roared and landed with an earth quaking thud, the refugees started running away from it as fast as they could. Even the beasts and monsters Ascot had looked after, were running away in a hurry. Those who either couldn't run or were slow, were being helped by Ferio and the others.
"That thing is enormous!" Ascot yelled out. "It is even bigger than Capella!"
The monster brought its massive clawed arm down, trying to grab as many refugees as possible, but was only able to dig its claws into the ground. Archers, warriors, and sorcerers were all raising their weapons and firing their spells, but the monster's thick hide seemed impervious to their attacks.
"Clef!" Lafarga yelled out, unsheathing his sword.
"Right!" Clef nodded, raising his staff.
"Wait, I'll be right back," Hotaru halted them both, sounding annoyed.
Clef and Lafarga looked confused, as the former bodyguard of the Magic Knights casually walked towards the monster. The others also watched from the side, as Hotaru activated Titanium Power, growing to a size similar to the monster's.
Seeing the warrior in silver and gold armor grow giant once again, everyone turned as he approached the monster. They watched with bated breath as Hotaru approached the monster, with only Alcyone remaining calm. As he poked the monster on its shoulder, it caused the beast to turn around and roar at the warrior.
Without a word of warning, Hotaru swung his fist at the monster, accelerating his arm to the speed of sound in an instant. He barely felt the monster's jawbone against his knuckles, as his fist burst through its head. From the point of view of the onlookers, it was as if the monster's head suddenly exploded. Seeing Hotaru holding his fist where the monster's head had been, was the only confirmation as to what had happened.
"Is that how Zagato died?" one of the kids asked Ferio.
Seeing the monster defeated so easily, it took a moment for the refugees to decide how to react. Slowly but surely, cheers of praise echoed throughout the valley, but only for a moment.
"Okay, Clef, before I was interrupted—" Hotaru began, before he heard crumbling from behind him.
"Look out!" Everyone yelled.
As he turned around, he could see the monster's torso extending and stretching out. The jagged stripes on its chest and stomach opened up, with a wet cracking sound. Two even larger red eyes were revealed where the monster's pecs were and a massive maw where its stomach was. Without a warning, the monster started ferociously clawing at Hotaru, striking him without stopping.
While everyone was expecting to see Hotaru get knocked down, the giant warrior stood firmly in front of the assault. The monster's claws created sparks as they scratched against his skin and armor, and as it tried to bite him with its stomach maw, its teeth cracked.
Hotaru turned around once more, fed-up with all the interruptions, "I'll be right back."
Shoving his hand into the monster's new maw, he grabbed hold of its upper jaw/ribcage. Before the monster could react, he took off flying, dragging the monster with him. The audience gasped as the two colossi flew into the air, faster than any bird they had ever seen. They followed their flight all the way to the edge of the valley, at which point Hotaru came to a stop.
Floating hundreds of meters above the ground, he looked the monster in the eyes, "You know, if there wasn't the risk of people being right below us, I would finish you off with the mother of all piledrivers."
The monster gnawed at his armored hand and clawed and kicked him. Despite being in mortal danger, it still tried to attack him without any concern for its own safety. It was clear this beast wasn't like one of Ascot's, but made purely out of the negative emotions of the Cephiro's residents.
"So, I guess I'll be finishing you off the old-fashioned way," he shrugged.
Using all his strength, Hotaru threw the giant monster up into the air. Due to the monster's weight, he was only able to throw them for about forty meters. However, this gave him enough time to reach for his chest and pull out the Titan Slicer. Holding the giant, curved, single-edge sword in both hands, he decided to test out his limits.
Using his speed, strength, and flying capabilities, he began to slash at the monster, changing directions quickly. His blade cut through its hairy hide with little to no effort, the momentum of his sword carving through flesh and bone. By the time his blade sliced through the monster in one direction, he had already started cutting it from another. The monster's roars of pain were drowned out by the whizzing of his Titan Slicer, as Hotaru swung and spun wildly.
The people on the ground watched in awe and in disgust, as the monster was diced into chunks of meat, before its body disappeared. As the monster vanished, it seemed to take Hotaru a moment to realize his target was gone. Once he did, he stowed his sword away and flew back to the center of the valley. As he landed and shrank back down, Hotaru noticed that the crowd was once again silent.
This always happens when I try to have a bit of fun…
The silence was broken by the sound of loud clapping, as Captain Lafarga began to applaud.
"That was an amazing show of strength, Hotaru," Lafarga praised him, showing genuine amazement.
"I agree, you have come a long way my student," Clef joined in on the praise.
Seeing Lafarga's and Clef's reactions, others began to applaud as well, before the familiar sound of cheers erupted once more. Having been at the biggest risk of being killed, the children and elderly were especially keen on applauding Hotaru. While this new warrior was a stranger to them, if Clef trusted him, they knew it was safe to be around him. And if Lafarga trusted him, he was someone who would keep them safe.
While the applause was still going on, Clef walked up to Hotaru, "Now, what was it that you wanted to talk about, Hotaru?"
"I was just going…" Hotaru started, before facepalming, "oh great, now I've forgotten what it was."
"Let me know as soon as you remember," Clef chuckled. "Now, we best continue on with the plan before more monsters show up."
Having already a good idea as to what the plan was, Hotaru didn't ask further questions. He watched as Clef walked over to Presea, picking up Mokona, before placing the little blob on top of his head. From Mokona's forehead, a pink light shone upwards to the sky, before spreading out into a projection of Clef.
"Citizens of Cephiro!" Clef's voice echoed throughout the valley. "With the return of two of the heroes responsible for the defeat of Zagato and the sacred beast Mokona, we will now begin the construction of the Sanctuary. Please clear the valley of all tents!"
At Clef's orders, the refugees all got to work. With there being more people than tents, it didn't take long for the refugees to pack up their humble abodes. Those with larger tents and the tents reserved for large crowds took longer to move out of the way. With Ascot's monsters helping, moving the collective rations to the edges of the valley was easy.
Once the valley was empty, Clef spoke through Mokona once more, "Now then, everyone spread out to the perimeter of the valley and join hands. We must form a large circle with the most powerful magic users spaced out evenly."
"I guess we need to split up for now," Hotaru said to Alcyone, knowing Clef was referring to them.
"Yes, let us rejoin as soon as we are done," Alcyone smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Following Clef's words, they all spread out and lined up next to each other. Hotaru remained where he was standing, linking hands with the people closest to him. Despite having been afraid of him earlier, they grabbed hold of his hand without hesitation. Hotaru thought back on the first time he and the Magic Knights had met the people of Cephiro, and how scared they had all been of them. While he did enjoy scaring people from time to time, it was nice being accepted too.
Needing to find a place where she would fit in the formation, Alcyone flew to the other side of the valley. Once she landed, she boldly took her place in the circle. As the refugees turned towards her, she could feel their gazes upon her. Having worn revealing outfits for many decades, she was used to the leers and glares of other people. However, there was also a new sensation that was far more unnerving. Among the onlookers, she could tell that there were people who recognized her.
She knew she had made many enemies during her time as a sorceress and that looks such as these were to be expected. And yet, she couldn't just shrug them off like the others, as unlike her outfit, she too was ashamed of her past. As she joined hands with the others, she did her best to ignore the cold atmosphere, which for the first time in her life, she didn't enjoy.
With everyone in place, Clef spoke out once more, "Everyone! Lend your hearts and wills to the sorcerers and summoners! Together, let us forge the beacon of hope to light our darkest days and bring tranquility to this forsaken world!"
With Clef's lead, all the sorcerers and summoners began to chant together, with the other refugees soon joining them. While Hotaru was still relatively new to magic, he joined in on them, feeling his magical power being drawn together with the others.
As they chanted, a blue glowing circle of light appeared underneath them. The light intensified underneath Clef, Lafarga, Ferio, Sierra, Presea, Caldina, Ascot, Hotaru, and Alcyone, before two lines spread out from each of them. The lines connected with one another, creating a nonagram on the ground. Inside the nonagram, smaller (yet hundreds of meters across) magic circles began to appear, until the entire floor of the valley was glowing blue.
Eventually, large pillars of light shot out towards the sky from the magic circles. Some of them directly upwards, some at an angle. In these pillars, shining light blue crystals began to form, which connected together at a large crystalline base. Massive crystal towers appeared at the center of the valley, which reached far higher than the surrounding mountains. From the base of these towers, slightly smaller crystals grew at an angle, creating spires and supports, forming a wide structure that overshadowed the valley below. At the edges of the valley and underneath the crystal cluster, smaller towers sprouted from the ground. Finally, an ornate, gold and cobalt decoration appeared around the central towers, connecting the towers together.
After the light of the magic circle faded, a crystal castle the size of a small mountain range glowed brightly in front of them all. The light it gave off was bright yet gentle, making the surroundings bright as day, but didn't hurt to look at. At the bottom of the structure, there were large entrance ways with grand staircases leading up to them.
"People of Cephiro!" Clef announced once more. "Until sun once again shines on Cephiro, let this castle be your home! While there is plenty of room for everyone, remember to share with your fellow man and respect each other's privacy. Food will be served as soon as possible."
Once Clef's speech ended, the people started moving towards the entrances in an orderly fashion. They all wanted to rush in to choose the best rooms and to get out of the cold and desolate wasteland. However, with Master Mage Clef's words ringing in their ear, they knew they had to be better than that.
As the people walked in, Hotaru stayed behind, observing the giant crystal Sanctuary. While the crystal structure looked as extravagant and architecturally confusing as in the show, there were some differences. Its base was slightly larger, and more noticeably, instead of having three central towers, there were five. Just like he remembered, the middle tower was shortest, but most ornate, while the four surrounding towers were taller and simpler. The decorative connector piece also extended to more directions now.
I guess this is because of mine and Alcyone's influence. Didn't think the Sanctuary's appearance would change, but they did have more magic to work with this time.
Thinking he was alone, Hotaru almost jumped out of his armor as someone grabbed him from behind. As he calmed down, he saw two slender arms in long black gloves, wrapping around him from behind. Recognizing this as Alcyone, he felt her pressing her face against the back of his neck.
"Miss me already?" Hotaru asked gently, surprised by this sudden show of affection.
"…Even with all these people around, it is lonely without you," Alcyone said quietly, hugging him tightly.
"Right… I guess we haven't been away from each other since we got together," Hotaru smiled, holding onto her arms.
While they were enjoying a somewhat unusual tender moment, a sudden cough interrupted them both. As they turned around, they saw Master Mage Clef standing behind them, trying to be courteous in getting their attention.
"Hotaru, Alcyone, I would like to thank you once again for your help," Clef addressed them cordially, with Mokona still standing atop his head.
"We just delivered Mokona," Hotaru chuckled. "It is not that big of a deal."
"No, while delivering Mokona was important, you two also assisted the Magic Knights in fulfilling their legend. All of Cephiro owes you a debt of gratitude the likes of which cannot be described. As such, I have an offer and a favor to ask of you."
Alcyone looked at her old master astonished, having never expected him to ask her a favor, "What is it?"
"I am planning on having the most powerful protectors of Cephiro living in the upper floors of the five towers. This way they will be able to quickly respond if any trouble arises." Clef explained. "If it is fine with you two, I would like to offer you private quarters on the upper floors."
Hearing the offer, Hotaru smiled widely. He remembered that most of the second season's events were going to take place in the upper floors of the castle. While he knew this made them dangerous, it also allowed him to influence the plot more directly if he was close by when it happened. While this ran a risk of putting Alcyone in harm's way, he was quite confident in being able to protect her.
"Having a great view and privacy does sound appealing, right love?"
"Yes, and if we can be of any use in protecting the citizens, then we will be honored to," Alcyone bowed her head.
"Very well then," Clef nodded contently. "If you two agree, I will assign you a room on the thirtieth floor of the central tower. It should provide plenty of privacy and still allow easy access to the rest of the Sanctuary."
Following Clef's lead, Hotaru and Alcyone toured through the corridors of the Sanctuary. The insides of the castle were large enough for monsters to walk through and the walls were made out of crystal, marble, and gold. The bottom floor was mostly an entrance area which led to innumerous staircases, with large storage rooms between them. Clef left Mokona with the refugees in charge of supply management, at which point Mokona began to produce large quantities of food and medicine.
As they walked up the stairs, they saw innumerous corridors with dozens of doors on each one, with people slowly going through them. As they reached the halfway point of the crystal castle, they saw several different kinds of communal areas. A garden, a mess hall, an archery range, sickbay, some form of temple, kitchens, and monster barracks. The lower floors of the central towers seemed to have been dedicated for entertainment. There was a bar, a bath house, a game room, a meeting room, and a library.
Overall, the Sanctuary reminded Hotaru of a luxury hotel he had once been in during a business trip in his previous life. However, back then he had just stayed in his room and watched TV when not working. This time, he didn't have electronics available nor work to do, so he could truly enjoy his stay.
As long as they don't charge me for using the pool and food, this is already better than either of my previous worlds!
Reaching the halfway point of the central tower, they came to a large corridor that led directly outside. At the end of the corridor, there was a large golden door, which Clef explained to be the throne room. Continuing their climb upwards, they reached small hallways that were similar to those they had seen in the living quarters. The only difference was that there were only three doors per hallway. The doors were large and made out of obsidian that was black as night.
"This one will be your apartment," Clef said, opening the door at the end of the hallway.
As Hotaru and Alcyone entered, they were greeted by the sight of a luxurious four-room apartment. There was a central room, a bedroom, a guest room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The central room was round and furnished to function as an entrance hall, a living room, and a dining room. The kitchen seemed well stocked and had no door between it and the center room, while the two bedrooms and bathroom had intricate crystal doors with gold décor. The rooms also had octagonal, gold framed windows that showed the dark world outside, as well as simplistic chandeliers.
"This is… better than I expected," Hotaru admitted, looking around the vast round room. "Are all the apartments just as nice?"
"The apartments downstairs aren't quite as luxurious," Clef admitted. "I feel bad for the citizens, but we need to accommodate a lot of people. You two and the others living in the top floors are in charge of protecting everyone and keeping up the people's morale. For this reason, I am giving you more comfortable living quarters for reducing stress."
"We appreciate your generosity, Master Clef," Alcyone smiled, before thanking him from the bottom of her heart. "Thank you for providing Hotaru and I such an immaculate home."
"Make the most of it," Clef smiled warmly. "I talked with the others already and we decided it would be best for us to hold a small dinner party once the Sanctuary was finished. I hope you two will be joining us in an hour in the dining hall."
"We will see you then," Hotaru smiled, before closing the door on the master mage.
With Clef gone, Alcyone explored their new apartment curiously. The rooms were much nicer than her previous ones back at the family mansion and the royal castle. The main bedroom was rectangular in shape with two closets, a king-sized bed, a chest or drawers, a wall-sized mirror with two hovering stools in front, and two nightstands. The guest room was octagonal in shape and had similar furnishings, except it had a single bed. The kitchen had an island similar to Mokona's shelter, but also obsidian countertops, white cupboards, a washing sink, and an oven. The bathroom was small and only came with a toilet and a sink, which annoyed Alcyone slightly.
As she finished looking around, Alcyone was surprised by Hotaru suddenly hugging her from behind. The young man had taken off his armor, allowing her to feel his warmth and passion.
"Looks like our love nest has grown from one room to four," he spoke sweetly in her ear.
"It's a good start," Alcyone chuckled, leaning against him. "At this rate, we will have built a sizable nest by next year."
"Yes, but until then, this is a safe location, and private too," Hotaru continued before kissing her neck, his voice dropping lower. "And do you remember what I promised you…"
Remembering Hotaru's words from two days ago, Alcyone's heart skipped a beat, as her knees grew weak. What had at first felt like a loving embrace, now made her feel exposed and vulnerable, as she was held tight.
"N-Now…?" Alcyone stuttered, flushing deep red. "B-But we have a dinner reservation in an hour, and neither of us have bathed in days…"
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn," Hotaru smiled teasingly, turning Alcyone around and looking into her eyes. "We will show up dirty anyway, so what is some afterglow and a couple of hickeys going to change? If you are willing, let us work up an appetite."
Alcyone was taken aback by Hotaru's bold and lascivious words, sensing his almost animalistic desire. Her words failed her as she felt like cornered prey, her heart beating louder. Since Hotaru was so much younger than her, she had imagined him as someone she would guide and take care of. But now, her instincts were telling her to surrender to him and allow Hotaru to devour her.
"Please, Hotaru…" Alcyone whispered, letting her cape fall to the ground, "take me."
Hearing her words, Hotaru smiled as charmingly as he could and picked Alcyone up into a princess carry. Alcyone wrapped her arms around Hotaru's neck, looking at him lovingly, a rosy blush on her cheeks. Holding Alcyone like this for the first time without the use of magic, Hotaru was surprised by how delicate yet firm her body felt. Despite her slender and curvy form, he could tell Alcyone possessed great strength, maybe even greater than his without his spells.
As Hotaru started walking towards the bedroom, Alcyone spoke out, "Oh right, watch out for my—HAIR!"
There was a loud thud as Hotaru almost threw Alcyone on the ground, following closely behind. He had stepped on top of Alcyone's ankle length hair, which had pulled her down, causing him to fall forward. The end result was Alcyone laying on the ground in front of the bedroom door, with Hotaru laying on top of her. Hotaru had slammed his head against the crystal door, and had faceplanted against Alcyone's navel.
"Ow…" Alcyone whimpered, stroking her sore bum. "Are you alright, Hotaru?"
"Never better," Hotaru mumbled in English, before pushing himself up. "Sorry… I am used to carrying you that way when in flight."
"It's okay," Alcyone forgave him, stroking her hair. "Maybe I should just go ahead and cut it shorter…"
"Don't you dare," Hotaru said in a serious tone. "I love your hair the way it is. I just need to learn to compensate for it."
After standing up and helping Alcyone up as well, Hotaru prepared to pick her up again. Last time he had placed his right arm under her shoulder blades, and allowed her hair to droop freely. This time he lifted her hair up with both arms along with her body, so that Alcyone was laying on a bed of her own locks.
Just as he got her up again, there was a knock at the door.
"Great…" Hotaru sighed frustratedly. "Gotta love having neighbors…"
"Guess we will be waiting for later tonight after all," Alcyone chuckled, lying comfortably in his arms.
Laying Alcyone gently down on a crystal couch with purple upholstery, Hotaru put on his customer service face and walked over to the door. Opening it, he was greeted by two familiar friendly faces; Caldina and Lafarga. Lafarga was still wearing his blue armor and Caldina was carrying a magnum bottle of wine in her hand.
"Hi~! We decided to come over and welcome ya properly," Caldina winked at Hotaru while raising the bottle. "I hope we aren't interrupting anything."
"Almost…" Hotaru whispered under his breath before showing them in. "Come on over, make yourselves at home. I am not shy about hosting my former foes."
Before Lafarga had time to thank Hotaru, Caldina had already walked past him and was admiring their apartment, "Wooow~ it is far more spacious than mine. Oh! Hello Alcyone, I thought we might find ya here as well."
While not enthusiastic about reuniting with Caldina, Alcyone smiled politely, "Welcome Caldina, Lafarga, I hope you enjoy our humble abode."
While the two ladies were exchanging pleasantries, with Caldina complimenting Alcyone's new darker outfit, Hotaru turned over to Lafarga.
"Are the apartments different even here in the main towers?"
"Each of them is unique, I think," Lafarga answered dryly. "Caldina's has a lot more gold and moss-green walls, mine is close to silver in color. I guess you two got a larger room since you live together."
"I guess it's appropriate that we hold the meeting here then. Why did you come over anyway?" Hotaru tilted his head.
"It was Caldina's idea, she wanted to come and see you two, not sure why myself," Lafarga admitted, finally stepping through the door.
As the two women were fetching wine glasses from the kitchen, Caldina overheard the men talking, "I figured the four of us could go for a little reunion after everything we have been through. I would have invited Ascot over as well, but I do not think he should be drinking yet."
"That's right…" Alcyone's eyes widened as she understood. "The three of us all worked under Zagato at one point…"
"And tried to kill me, but that is water under the bridge," Hotaru chuckled, sitting down on the couch.
Alcyone and Caldina sat on the couch next to Hotaru, while Lafarga took a seat in a large armchair. Caldina then poured them all tall glasses of deep red wine, before leaning against the armrest and picking up her glass.
"This is wine straight from my home country of Chizeta, I hope you enjoy it," Caldina winked, before taking a sip.
The others followed suit, with each of them drinking a mouthful.
"Hmmm… a fruity and spicy aroma, and a tart yet piquant taste," Alcyone savored the vintage. "Quite agreeable."
"Yeah its… well aged, I must say," Hotaru smiled, trying to cover for his lack of wine experience.
"It tastes good," Lafarga complimented.
"So, Alcyone," Caldina spoke familiarly to her old colleague, "how are ya fitting in with the common folk after such a long time?"
Alcyone held her wine glass tighter, "I'm… I'm doing fine. It is good to see regular citizens on the eye level again."
"…Ya don't need to act tough, Alcyone," Caldina smiled warmly, before signaling Hotaru to lean back. "I know what yer going through."
"Do you…?" Alcyone asked quietly, seeing the compassion in her aquamarine eyes.
"Yeah, Lafarga and I went through the same paces," Caldina admitted. "At first the people were afraid of us because of what we did for Zagato. The lives taken, sowing terror into the populace, people don't forgive stuff like that overnight."
Alcyone lowered her head, her eyes focusing on the blood red wine, "What did you do to get them to forgive?"
"I'm not sure they all have," Lafarga answered in a gruff voice. "My old comrades trust me now, but I can still see the fear in the eyes of regular people when I walk past them. But those who I have helped personally, seem to find it easier to be around me."
"What he is trying to say is as long as ya continue helping everyone out, then slowly they will learn to accept ya," Caldina clarified, trying to keep the conversation on a positive note.
"…I'm not sure they can forgive me," Alcyone uttered in an agonizing voice, while grasping her arm.
Seeing Alcyone shaking, Hotaru wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. While he couldn't understand the emotional turmoil Alcyone was going through, he did know she needed his support.
"I'm sure you will get a chance to make things right," Hotaru assured her, remembering what was to come next. "Besides, even if no one else will accept you, I will still love you."
Alcyone leaned against his shoulder. While she felt soothed by Hotaru's comforting, it was slightly embarrassing in front of Lafarga and Caldina. She tried her best to cover her blushing cheeks with her long hair, but she could still see Caldina's amused expression.
"My~ I didn't think ya two were that close already," Caldina giggled impishly. "Ya two make such a cute couple~."
Hotaru was about to agree with this notion, until he noticed Caldina's eyes darting to the side. It was like she was signaling towards Lafarga, at which point things clicked for him.
Is she trying to make me compliment her and Lafarga? They didn't get together this early in the series… She probably held her feelings in longer than I remember. She wants me to say something like "You too", but… I think letting her wait is gonna be more fun.
"Yes, we do," Hotaru smiled obliviously. "I am very fortunate to have her as my girlfriend."
Unable to hide her blushing anymore, Alcyone hugged Hotaru tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. Meanwhile, Caldina looked at Hotaru infuriatedly, having seen through his bluff. Hotaru let out a slight nasty grin at her, while Lafarga just looked at them all confused.
"I see…" Caldina smiled, a nerve throbbing on her forehead. "Well on to another topic. Ya still remember our little promise, Hotaru?"
"What promise?" Lafarga asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He promised me half of his reward from saving Princess Emeraude," Caldina wagged her finger. "While I know Emeraude had to be killed to save the day and I am no longer threatening to kill ya, a promise is a promise. So, how do ya plan on paying me back, hmmm~?"
Lafarga let out a deep sigh before speaking out, "Caldina, I think is a bit much to—"
Before Lafarga could finish, Hotaru turned towards Alcyon, and gestured towards the table. Alcyone touched her forehead, after which a purple light shot out of her forehead gem. The light converted into a pile of shining gold coins, about the size of a medium sized dog.
"Eh! Nani?" Caldina blinked.
Seeing the pile of gold in front of her, Caldina's expression constantly switched between dropped jaw and sparkling eyes. While it wasn't the largest amount of gold she had ever seen, she could still appreciate the value of it.
"Where did you get all this?" Lafarga asked worriedly.
"Well while Emeraude wasn't in the mood to pay for her… liberation, me and Alcyone did manage to empty the contents of the royal vault," Hotaru admitted to their misdeed. "This was all that was left inside."
"Wait, this is all that was left!?" Caldina looked at him in shock. "Then that means… This was meant to be my reward! And now yer giving me only half of it… Darn it!"
The others watched in shock as Caldina started throwing a tantrum on the couch, waving her arms and kicking her legs. She was swearing up a storm and pounding her fist against the couch's padding. Before they could ask what had gotten over her, Caldina quickly straightened herself out and was back to being calm.
"Ahem, sorry ya had to see that," Caldina apologized in a dignified manner. "Congratulations, Hotaru, this is the first time I have ever lost a gamble."
"Unbelievable…" Alcyone facepalmed,
"It wasn't really a gamble," Hotaru admitted, "if you want, you can have it all."
Caldina shook her head, her pink ponytail swaying about, "No, it was a gamble as you said back then. There always was the chance that you would either lose or the cut of the reward I would receive was smaller than I expected. Not only did you get me to spare you and your friends, but you managed to get your hands on my reward despite all odds."
After splitting the money (around 20 000 gold coins) in half, the four of them continued chatting up and exchanging news and gossip. Hotaru and Alcyone told their guests about their journey in the wasteland and the battle with Zagato and Emeraude. In return, Lafarga told them about today's expedition to find refugees, and Caldina clued them in on her party's search for Clef. By the time the four of them finished the bottle of wine Caldina had brought, it was time for them to head out to Clef's dinner party.
Due to them all being new to the Sanctuary, it took Hotaru and the others a few wrong turns to find the dining hall. It was located on the twenty-eighth floor of the eastern tower, and was significantly smaller than the mess hall in the crystal cluster. The walls of the room were white marble with ornate golden pillars and support struts running along walls. The walls were decorated with pink flowered vines and paintings of Cephiro's lush landscapes. The floor was smooth and made out of a single piece of purple crystal and the ceiling was lit up by broad, single-tiered, crystal chandeliers.
On the sides of the room, there were several wooden dressers covered in silk doilies, with silver candelabras on top of them. At the center of the room, there was a large refectory table with black table legs, covered by a large white table cloth. The table had nine chairs around it, four on each side and a large throne at the end of it. In front of each chair, there was a golden plate, a bowl, a crystal drinking glass and a wine glass, and a set of silver utensils. There were also crystal ewers, woven baskets, as well as spice shakers.
Despite having put his silver and gold armor back on by Lafarga's suggestion, Hotaru still felt underdressed in front of all this opulence.
If the magic users can conjure stuff like this with magic, how are they still able to use gold coins as currency? Maybe Alcyone was right when she said what we got wasn't much…
Despite the difficulty of finding the dining hall, it appeared the four of them were the first to arrive. Resisting the urge to sit on the throne (which on closer inspection was more of a booster seat) Hotaru sat on the right-side chair closest to the throne. Alcyone sat down next to him, followed by Lafarga and then Caldina.
Soon after, Ferio and Ascot arrived, sitting across the table in front of Hotaru and Caldina. Presea and Sierra arrived next and sat between Ferio and Ascot. While waiting for Clef to arrive, they all engaged in small talk.
"I still cannot believe that you stayed in Cephiro, Hotaru," Ferio smiled at his friend. "I'm still sad Fuu had to leave, but I am glad I can still hang out with my friend."
"Eh, not to sound too mushy, but everyone in this room is but one reason to stay behind," Hotaru shrugged. "While I will miss the girls, I got no reason to go back to Tokyo."
"Alcyone…" Presea started, before mulling over her words. "…I am sorry for being so cold for you when you arrived. I talked it over with Sierra and I think we should try to bury the hatchet."
Alcyone nodded slowly, "It is true, we are grown women now and we should act that way. I apologize for always being so rude to you in the past."
"Hay is it okay if we inspect your armor and staff later?" Sierra asked Hotaru and Alcyone. "I heard from Lafarga that they evolved recently. It is rare to get to see fully evolved Escudo weapons."
Lafarga nodded, "Yes, and Escudo staves and armor are rare to begin with."
"Really Ascot, if ya keep growing at this rate we need to get you a new set of clothes again," Caldina motherly scolded Ascot.
"I know…" Ascot lowered his head, his white robe now only reaching his waist. "But it is not like I can just buy new clothes these days."
Their discussions were cut short as the doors of the dining hall opened once more. Everyone went silent as a short figure walked through the large golden doors, his staff clanking against the ground as he walked to the throne. Hopping on top of the throne, Master Mage Clef gazed at them all with a focused expression, staying silent for a moment before speaking.
"Thank you all for gathering here at my request. We have a lot of things to discuss regarding Cephiro's future. But first," Clef raised his staff before tapping the floor with the end of it.
A bright blue light flashed on top of each of their plates, bowls, as well as the ewers and the baskets. Hotaru was slightly taken aback by the foods they were offered, as it was all very native to Cephiro. The main course seemed to be a large pork cutlet with bright red breading, something that looked like mashed potatoes but lilac, as well as steamed vegetables. Their bowls were filled with warm creamy soup, with pieces of mushroom and shellfish floating in it. Round breads that looked like baked potatoes loaded the baskets, and the ewers were filled with various kinds of drinks.
"…let us eat," Clef smiled.
Remembering his first meal alone with Alcyone, Hotaru decided to try and make a good first impression. He picked up his knife and fork, cut up a piece of meat and picked up some vegetables to go with it, and dipped it in the mashed potato. But before he could put it in his mouth, the dining hall erupted with the sounds of eating.
Whether it was Ascot, Caldina, Lafarga or Clef, everyone was quickly gobbling up and wolfing down the food in front of them. Seeing Presea try to shove an entire bread into her mouth, Alcyone dropped her spoon in shock. Both of them wanted to reprimand them for their bad manners, but seeing their expressions, they couldn't bring themselves to do so. Sad, happy, ecstatic, desperate, all of this and more described the reactions of Cephiro's cream of the crop to the food in front of them. Whether it was getting their clothes, hands, and faces dirty, nothing seemed to matter to them.
"I think I lost my appetite…" Alcyone muttered, trying not to heave.
Hotaru leaned towards Alcyone and whispered, "I guess this is why they were so desperate to get Mokona back."
Alcyone nodded, "They must not have had a proper meal in weeks."
As everyone eventually calmed down and began to eat in a more civilized fashion, Hotaru and Alcyone could finally join them. Despite food taking priority, they all managed to have a few civil conversations in the midst of the dinner. Clef even proposed a toast to all the hard-working refugees who had prepared the meal, but only after finishing his bowl of soup and three breads. Knowing these were desperate times for people of Cephiro, Hotaru was happy to see everyone's moods be uplifted as their thirst and hunger were satiated.
After finishing his meal, Ferio leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach, "Three cheers for Mokona, am I right?"
"Agreed, I hope everyone was able to get their fill today," Lafarga stated, thinking back on the starving refugees.
"I normally prefer eating light but a full week of fasting is too much for me," Caldina admitted, wiping her mouth on a napkin.
"So, Mr. Clef, what was it that you wanted to talk to us about?" Hotaru asked, leaning his chair back.
Putting away his utensils, Clef brought his hands together. At first it seemed like he was praying, but after a while everyone could tell Clef had something serious to discuss.
"For starters, I would like to thank everyone for volunteering to protect Cephiro in these trying times," Clef spoke gravely and distinctly. "However, while all of you are prepared to fight off against monsters and help in gathering more refugees, there is more to come in the following days."
"We figured as much," Ferio said confidently. "No way you would give us all this special treatment if we just had to deal with monsters."
"That is true," Clef admitted heavy heartedly. "The truth is that while Princess Emeraude upheld the natural balance of Cephiro and made it lush and verdant, her influence also protected it. With the Pillar in place, the planet is completed protected against anyone looking to harm Cephiro. But now, we are just as open as any other world."
Clef raised his staff high into the air, with its blue gem glowing brightly. The ceiling of the dining hall transformed into an image of the night sky, with clouds circling the edges of it. Among the stars, there were three dots of light, red, yellow, and green respectively.
"Over four hundred years ago, when the previous Pillar was killed, we lived in an age of uncertainty much like this. At the tail end of that era, right before Princess Emeraude was chosen, these three countries began to mobilize. Fahren, Chizeta, and Autozam."
Three planets appeared upon the ceiling as Clef named them. A large red planet covered in red swirling clouds with two dark red orbiting rings. A small golden planet covered in a hexagonal pattern with two massive golden cones hovering at the poles. And finally, a hollow looking planet with enormous protrusions of green crystal that emerged from the very core of the planet. Its surface was covered in large cities and mega structures.
"This time," Clef continued, "I am afraid they have used the previous four hundred years preparing for an opportunity like this, hoping to take over Cephiro."
So that's how they had those giant war machines ready and waiting, Hotaru thought to himself.
"So, you're saying we will be tasked with protecting Cephiro, not just from domestic dangers, but also foreign armies," Alcyone spoke out grimly, staring at the images sternly.
"That is right," Clef nodded cautiously. "There is no confirmation that any of the countries have mobilized their forces just yet. But whether they do or don't, our only choice is to hold out until the next Pillar has been chosen."
"We will be fine," Ferio said confidently, trying to calm everyone down. "After all, we have Cephiro's four strongest fighters on our side."
"Looks like you four will be getting your chance to shine," Hotaru said, smiling at his former foes.
There was an awkward moment of silence, before Presea spoke out, "Hotaru, I think he was referring to you, Clef, Lafarga, and Alcyone."
"Oh… right."
"Unfortunately, it will be three," Clef said with a deep sigh. "I cannot leave this sanctuary, lest its structure be destabilized. I will be able to help if the sanctuary is attacked directly, but we should try to avoid that possibility at all cost."
"We will make sure no one will lay a finger on the refugees," Lafarga promised, with his hand on his chest.
"Let them come, I'm sure Hotaru can take on an army by himself," Ascot smiled confidently.
"I am glad you think so highly of me," Hotaru chuckled, "Still, we should try to bolster our numbers any way possible."
I know we will be gaining reinforcements soon, but it is not like those three armies are even the biggest threat we will be facing… I wonder if Autozam has video games?
Author's Afterword: Phew, that chapter came out longer than expected. Now you may be thinking that it didn't feel longer than normal. This is because I had to cut out three other sections to this story and move them onto the next chapter. Hence some things will be resolved next time that were hinted about in this chapter.
As for this chapter, there really isn't much lore regarding Magic Knight Rayearth's in-world history, so I took the liberty to fill in some blanks. The pre series 1 relationships between the different characters, Cephiro's history with the three other planets, etc. I hope I managed to represent everyone in-character despite the changes and additions to the plot.
Another thing MKR leaves often vague, are the names of different locations. The royal castle is never given a name and neither is this new one, so I decided to simply call it Sanctuary. And speaking of the Sanctuary, I hope no one minds the little redesigns, as Hotaru's effect on the story will only increase from here on out.
Next chapter, the arrival of Lantis.
As always, reviews and speculations are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you to merendinoemiliano and our recurring anonymous Guest for your reviews on the last chapter!