Chapter 42:
Whispers of Her Father
To my utter frustration, it was still dark out when I woke up.
I swear, hasn't this happened before? I frustratingly recalled that time I was woken up in the middle of the night right after having a dream with Mister Man-God. My sleep schedule was probably screwed for the next few days, but it was no use crying over spilled milk.
I ruffled my hair in frustration as I sat on the edge of the finely furnished wool-covered bed. My whole body felt raring to go, and I figured it'd be useless to try to go back to sleep in this state, to my utter resignation. This sort of thing usually happened after a dream with that guy, but it was significantly more appreciated in the morning.
"...not the middle of the night," I mumbled to myself.
I was sharing a room with Alek who was sleeping on his stomach, completely passed out. Gotta get that energy up for training, huh? Even people with the titles of Gods had to rest, I'd come to realize. A trill of sound came from the room next to us, initially startling me but making my lips curl into an unbothered smile as I realized it was just Ares's noisy sleep.
I squinted my eyes as my eyes adjusted to the near-pitch blackness of the room, save for the small crack of moonlit rays peering through the window. I stepped cautiously so as to not make much noise and made my way to my desk and slid a piece of letter paper where I could write on it.
I wrote:
Will be out for a little while. If you wake up in the middle of the night, blame Ares for snoring and not me for leaving unannounced.
I was fairly content with that before I peered back at the sleeping raven hair and eyed the ochre glint of his greatsword by his bedside. Not the best for stabbing, but amazing at cleaving through enemies. Damned if it was a dangerous thing to be around. Speaking of danger…
If by some trick of fate, I'm not back by morning, search the outskirts of the city. No dangerous person ever stays in one spot—surely I'd be taken away from Zant Port.
Call me paranoid, but I call it being prepared. Of course, it could all be avoided by just staying put, but where's the fun in that? It'd do me just as much harm to stay cooped up having to listen to Ares from the other side of the wall all night.
It was definitely not because I wanted to grab some fresh air and think things through before asking Ares anything stupid. Of course not.
So what was I supposed to ask Ares?
I held my cheeks in my hands as I strolled through the empty roads, the city having hunkered down for the night and leaving next to no lanterns or candles lit. The light breeze whipping through my hair made for a good atmosphere to think.
"Hah…" Maybe I was getting ahead of myself.
Ares was a hot-headed guy who usually didn't have a lot of subtlety for the most part. It was part of what made him exceedingly fun to be around. But, at the same time, it probably made it hard to approach from a more emotional angle. If I just asked him if he was jealous of Roxas, he'd probably just deny it and close himself off.
I couldn't be so forward with my approach. There was a part of me who wanted to wait until he'd open up himself, but something told me it'd be a risky idea. Considering that any of his feelings could get worse if I left it alone, I wanted to actually spur myself to action rather than sit around and wait. Or, if it was just nothing, I was worrying about it far too much.
I ruffled my hair in frustration and let out a tired sigh. What was I meant to do here?
"I need a distraction…" I mumbled in the relative silence of the night.
I stopped and sat on a fountain near the center of the town and stared up into the endless world of stars and night above me.
I remembered my previous life. When I was a kid, I spent my time filling my head with scattered information that made me seem like a gifted child. I read books about the stars, about plant life, or attempted to read books far too advanced for me to understand properly. It was what got me the little attention I remember having from my parents.
It's all far too hazy for me to properly recall anything meaningful information-wise. But I did still have some recollection of the constellations in the night sky. They grabbed my attention like a vise when I flipped through those colorful, outdated books made during the vast astronomical breakthroughs of the time.
As I stared up into the stars of this world, not once did I see any of those same constellations. That realization, one so similar to the small dazzling insights I remember having during my second infancy, took me by surprise. We were in an entirely different corner of an entirely different universe. One that very well could have its own laws of reality separate from Earth's.
I sat there in silence, taking in the full scale of the sky above me. At that moment, I felt so infinitesimally small. But it didn't take away from the fact that somehow, I was granted another chance at life. I had control of everything I did, and I'd make sure I wouldn't die with regrets.
"Ah," I snapped out of my trance-like state.
Who knew craning my neck would be such a wake-up call? I blinked a few times to get it out of my system. I'd really get snatched by some crook if I sat so thoughtlessly like this.
I got up and smoothed the bottom of my robe out, peering out into the moonlight-bathed city. There were still a few lights shining out in the mercantile district, and I set to move right to it.
My feet carried me quickly to the district, my eyes dotting around to find Stuffs and Staffs. Sure enough, I found what I was looking for. It was rather cozy-looking in the night, with the warmth of a fireplace inside of it and the lanterns dotted around the exterior. I took off my hood and brushed my bangs away from my eyes as I opened the door to the shop.
I sighed in relief as the inside was somewhere around room temperature. I'm tired of the humidity outside, ya know?
"Oh, Lumi! Came alone this time?" Meadow brightly greeted me, her bulky goggles perched on her long bangs.
"Mhm! Couldn't sleep," I replied.
She frowned, crossing her arms in playful contempt. "Now, you should've come with someone else! This isn't exactly the safest place on the continent, not to mention this late at night."
I decided to wave off her comment. "It's nothing I can't handle, you know? Besides, how come they've got you working this late?"
Maybe they took advantage of her being teleported here from Fittoa and put her to work long hours? It was a possibility!
She pursed her lips in response to my first statement but regained her usual tempo as she spoke. "This isn't so bad of a work environment, really," Meadow said emphatically, her crop jacket moving with her gestures.
"Plus, the mercantile district counts on workers like me to keep businesses running for stragglers this late at night," Meadow said, hitching her thumb to a few other dimly lit establishments just across the road.
Well, if she isn't complaining…
"I won't bore you with any more of that. What's got you coming here, sweetie?" she prompted, resting her elbow on her countertop. "Maybe a ring for that redhead friend of yours?"
"Not that again…" I shook my head fervently. Seriously speaking, if there was ever anyone I'd come to for rings, it'd probably be her. It made me think, this place usually got crowded during the daytime, which meant they might all get snapped up!
"Erm, but just in case, maybe keep a few you like stashed away…"
"Oh? Considering it, are you?" she flashed a knowing smile.
"I-I don't know…" I had no idea where I was going with this, so I decided to rush back to why I was here in the first place.
"Ah! Could you do me a favor, Meadow?" I asked, digging into my pockets for my bundle of coins. I reached out and dumped about 7,000 yen in Gold and Silver coins.
I'd have brought more, but coins happened to make a boatload of noise in the middle of the night, and Alek kept most of our money next to him to prevent robberies. Guess it worked a little too well.
"I heard from a… erm… acquaintance of mine that you sold something called a Recovery Compass?" I spoke, inwardly wincing at having to call that blurry freak my acquaintance.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "That's… interesting. Just how did that acquaintance of yours hear about that? The company's not so much as mentioned it once before, and it's planned to be a luxury item, so it's even more secretive…"
Crap! Weasel your way out of this!
"Oh, um… if it's expensive, I'll come back in the morning with some more money if it's necessary!"
Nice one! I internally pat myself on the back.
"No, no. This amount should be just fine. Plus, I've heard they've got a really crazy engineer working their rear end off back in the company building to produce them. I'm sure they won't miss one," Meadow said a bit too enthusiastically.
"Are you sure?" I asked. I wouldn't want to put her out of a job, especially not one she likes this much.
"Oh, don't you worry a hair on your head. I've done bigger favors for less. Plus, I haven't unboxed the shipment since they arrived. I want to see one in the flesh!" she shamelessly declared.
"Of course," I shut my eyes for a moment and nodded.
She beamed and swiveled around in her chair, getting up and striding over to the door behind her. She peered back for a moment and said, "I won't be long!"
I fiddled around for a second, peering at the other stuff this place had. One side of the store had those staffs I remember seeing a week or so ago, which made for a real mystical vibe. Aside from that, the rest of the shop looked like your average general store; in this world, that's to say stuff like ropes, adventuring gear, lanterns, lamp oil, and the like.
"And here you are," Meadow said, drawing my attention back to the counter. She carried a pristine-looking black compass, decorated in golden trim and some flecks of a white metal I couldn't put a finger on. Sure enough, when I activated my Eye, it pulsed with bright yellow Diffused Mana.
"So pretty-looking for a compass," she said, holding it out in the cup of her hands. And expensive-looking, at that.
I took it and examined it for a second. I felt some mana interference, but nothing really taxing on me. It vaguely felt like it was drawing the mana from me, though stopping at a point as if hinting at it needing to be activated.
"From what I've heard, someone with practically no magical ability can still use it. It's revolutionary technology! You'd never see something like this in Buena," she proclaimed, though she drew inward shortly afterward, as if worried she'd offend me. Can't say I don't love my home village, but the sticks are the sticks. It's the charm of the place!
"Thank you," I said, graciously bowing a few times. "I really owe you one, Meadow."
"It's nothing!" she assured me, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "If you want to do something nice for me, take care of yourself on the way back to your hotel!"
I smiled sweetly at her. "I will!"
She's an angel! A Big Sis!
I was admiring the compass in my hands on my way back.
Hm… who should I hand this thing to? Alek? Roxas?
If I was going to keep track of a person at the party, who'd it be? Who'd be the most likely to get lost out here?
My mind flitted to Ares. Maybe him…?
After a few minutes of deliberation, I landed on a realization that I'd been dancing around the whole time. I was included in the list of people. I could charge it to point at my location, then give it to Alek to keep track of me.
I frowned bitterly. Is that too self-centered? I wouldn't be flamed for wanting to look out for myself, especially not here, but wouldn't it be a little telling? I was never one for making these types of decisions, so I decided that the course of action I'd be taking would be to discuss it with the party. I'd probably let Alek know beforehand that it was Mister Man-God who told me how to get it, but I'd have to try coming up with something to tell the others.
Again, I wasn't alone here. A part of me figured this was a good chance to tell everyone about the shady guy. Consider that I had physical evidence in my hands that'd help with proving his existence and not coming across as a delusional little girl.
But a bigger, probably more rational part of me wanted to keep it secret. Even though the guy himself hadn't said anything about talking openly about him, I didn't exactly want to play around with topics I had practically no grasp on. I'd probably end up keeping quiet unless it was necessary. I hoped that was the right decision.
The crisp air prickled at my skin as I marched on in the dark. It had cooled down significantly since I'd talked to Meadow, and it was greatly appreciated. Once I made it out of the mercantile districts and started to make my way to the housing district, I felt like I picked up someone's gaze.
I hesitantly turned around, walking to a solitary lit streetlamp that helped with the darkness. I heard a footstep behind me. Been a minute since something like this happened…
"Someone there?" I spoke, unwrapping the cloth on my staff and brandishing it, ready to send off a warning shot if I was left unanswered.
Silence. Then, in the darkness of an alleyway, I noticed the figure of a lone man with a sour look on his bearded face. A sword hung at his side. His hands were freely in view, not quite raised but clear enough to show that he meant no harm.
"What a warm greeting," the man said bitterly, coming fully into light and illuminating the scar on his right eye. I'd seen this guy before. "First off, put that dangerous-looking weapon away. You lot are unpredictable."
He was referring to mages, probably. I eyed him carefully. The man had dark lines underneath his eyes and looked worked-up.
"If I was looking for a fight, I wouldn't have stopped for chit-chat," he said. "Funny I found you this late at night, even after looking for you for some time. Not a soul knew the name 'Lumina Greyrat' around these parts. Looks like your reputation precedes you, missie."
I tensed at my name. I studied his face for a moment. Ah. It was that weirdo I'd accidentally bumped into after receiving the Eye of Indication. Coincidentally, he'd asked for my name that time. I narrowed my eyes.
"Right…" This guy looked like he'd talk my head off. I inwardly sighed.
"Looks like your eyesight's gotten better. Last thing anyone wants is to have sucky eyes at your age. I know a guy like that, you know? He's seen better days!" he spoke.
A beat. The guy sighed.
"Really? Not even a giggle? I was expecting as much from you, considering your father is a real sourpuss."
The silence around us almost intensified as my voice caught in my throat. He said it so casually I almost missed it. I stepped forward involuntarily, looking right at the man's eyes.
"...You know my father? Paul Greyrat?"
"That's right. Real good… friend of mine," he spoke. "See, in my line of work, there's nothing worse than a debt of gratitude. No matter how small it is, if you don't pay it back it'll eventually catch up with you, and you may get stuck in a situation where you have to betray your comrades. As it so happens, I owe the guy some favors, and he's not exactly in the best situation to go and find his daughter."
"Your line of work? And, is there something going on with him? Where is he?" I barraged him with questions. Is he a Search and Rescue volunteer? It made the most sense, but what I was really worried about was Paul's situation. From what Kishirika told me, he was in a worrying condition. At the time, I was relieved to know he was alive, but was he in danger?
"Slow your roll, missie! I can only answer one question at a time. You're in luck, though. We'll have plenty of time to chat on the way to your father," he eyed me with an indiscernible look in his eyes.
An ulterior motive. My previous fervor faded away into suspicion.
"The name's Gallus Cleaner. As long as you don't mind a quick detour or two, I can promise you that I'll bring you to your father if we depart now," the corners of his lips curled into a half-smile.
Depart now? When the rainy season's just about to start? What about everyone else? I couldn't just tear up the plans we all decided on.
"If you could just let me know where my father is and how to find him, I'll make sure to put in a good word for you, Mister Gallus," I tried. He didn't look like the type to let up so easily, but I made sure to outline how he'd pay back his favor even if he didn't bring me directly.
Besides, I needed to know exactly where Paul was, anyway. My original plan was to scour Milishion for information on where he was, since 'some town to the East of Milishion' wasn't exactly a map with a cross on it.
"That's where I have to step in, missie. We've got to leave now, else the rains will make the Great Forest impossible for us folk to pass through," he shot me down.
"I can wait three months. I have to let my party know first and foremost," I stood my ground against his increasing levels of aggression.
"I don't think you understand this, missie. This is a favor for your father. I can't just send you a map and a few words from me. I can't afford to wait around for you. We leave, now." His eyes flickered to the dark beyond me and trained back onto me.
I can't trust this man. I needed to get out of there before he turned to any drastic measure.
"I'll have to decline serving your self-interests. I'll find my father, and I'll put in a word for you if you let me go to my hotel. Leave me be," I readied my staff in my hands.
"Don't be a pain. I didn't ask for this, you know?" he dropped his hands. My eyes shot to his weapon. A moment later, I could've sworn I heard a footstep behind me.
"I'll tell your party what they need to hear if you need it so badly. Money, even, to make up for your not being there," he tried to negotiate.
"Gallus, I'm not going," my lip trembled.
He opened his mouth slightly, then shut it. His jaw tightened. "If I had it my way, you'd already be on your way to dreamland."
I tensed as I heard the familiar sound of a sword being drawn. I tensed, already internally readying a spell. As Gallus approached, a rope coiled around my legs and snatched my footing, sending my temple flying to the ground.
Wha—?!
Sparks of black fireworks erupted in my vision, and a distinct cold enveloped my body before I had a chance to react in any way.
Have I gotten… complacent…?
In the next moment, I was—
Alek
Rumors were spreading. I hadn't paid them much mind when I first overheard them. A group of unwanted influences, of bad people were increasing in influence around these parts. That is to say, smugglers. They were secretive; their organization took extra measures to prevent leaks to the public. Of course, they couldn't exactly hide the fact that some invasive species native elsewhere had suddenly sprouted up around Zant Port.
But rumors were that they were planning something big. There was some sort of conflict in the organization, and the clash between the two had resulted in the information being spread around town.
It was going to be an opportunity. When I initially caught wind of those rumors, I was looking for information on the labyrinths around Zant Port with Roxas, Talhand, and Elinalise. But I didn't act right away; that would just be foolish.
I'd gather some intel beforehand, just as Lumina would take time to prepare before making plans. My name made it all the easier, however. This title came with its shackles, but more often than not it was a blessing. It would take someone of almost God-ranked skill to evade my detection, and sure enough, there were people keeping tabs on me. I'd noticed well before that I had a lot of eyes on me out there in the streets, even more so than usual.
It seemed they were taking my presence into account. What that meant was that I was big enough of an obstacle to slow or perhaps even entirely shut down what they had going on. I'd dealt with plenty of schemes like this in my time, though none with so many extra variables running around.
But, I found the time to keep an eye on them just as they did me. I followed a dozen different men who seemed to be in communication at different times of the day. The majority simply scoped out the city and reported to people who seemed like watchdogs at the end of their 'shifts'.
But two in particular captured my attention. One boarded a ship that was set to sail in two weeks. I couldn't monitor him further, even with my title since it was a cargo ship, but the other man entered an inconspicuous warehouse on the far edge of a pier. Similar men were walking around, and eventually, I realized that this was most likely some base of operations. A perfect place to strike.
Things were falling into place for me. I just needed a moment where I knew that the rest of the party would be together and nowhere near me. I was sure that Ares would love hearing the story of what I was planning, but I couldn't have him come with me. As much as I wanted to train him against real opponents, I felt a sense of duty here. Lumina had rekindled that in me, having catapulted me into a journey where I could find the sort of opportunity to prove myself a hero.
And this was one such chance. I wanted to be a little selfish and act on my own for once.
So why did it end up like this?
The last thing I'd anticipated was Lumina's disappearance. But, almost as if she'd prepared for this exact scenario, she wrote a curt and to-the-point letter detailing how she was going out and what to do if she didn't come back. Even though she left so irresponsibly, she still seemed to have some semblance of self-awareness.
I trusted that Lumina wasn't in mortal danger. She was one of the most headstrong allies I'd met; her stance of unflappable commitment to finding her family was a testament to that. And, as Ares put it, 'there's no way she'd go down without a fight, even if she got kidnapped and sent halfway across the world!'
But just who would want to take our Lumina?
Tales of our exploits were just beginning to circulate in small amounts around the city, not nearly enough to warrant jealousy or greed. It couldn't have been a decision made on a whim, either. Lumina wouldn't let her guard down that easily. She was targeted. That much was clear.
"Just what the hell are we doing standing around like this?!" Ares shouted at the four of us. It was early in the morning, much earlier than any of us were used to waking up. I'd awoken them when I'd suddenly awoken and realized her absence.
Talhand grunted. "The boy's right. That girlie's important, no? We need to get a move on 'fore it's too late."
"This'll narrow it down, but…" Elinalise said, holding up the letter from Lumina. "There's still a lot of area to cover."
"Alek, do ya got any ideas?" Roxas looked up at me with conflict behind his eyes. "If the worst comes to worst, we'll split up and search the outskirts of the city."
I sat down and faced them all. "As Lumina wrote… they could've taken her outside of Zant Port. If they hauled her to the Great Forest, we might just need to abandon our plans of staying here."
A silence overcame the room. I could feel the tension around us; that would undoubtedly be the worst-case scenario. I fervently hoped that it wouldn't come to that.
"But…" As my words hung in the air, they all perked up in interest. "I think I might have a lead."
"A lead?" Ares tilted his head.
"Just a lead. I can't promise anything, but it's a significantly faster endeavor than scouring around the city," I clarified.
"In that case." Elinalise pointedly got up from her seat and glanced at Talhand. "Tally and I will start looking around the city.
"Huh?!" Talhand spit out in surprise. "When did I ever agree to that, eh?!"
"Look, Tally, If Aleksander's lead doesn't pay off, it's only natural that we have a plan B," Elinalise sighed. Talhand glared at her but relented.
"Should I go with you two?" Roxas piped up.
"No, it's okay. Like you said, we don't need babysitting. I'll make sure Tally behaves. This is serious, after all," Elinalise assured.
"Fine, but don't call me that!" Talhand complained. Elinalise only snorted in reply.
"Roxas, we might need your help. So come on," I waved him over. "Gear up, all of you."
They nodded in assent, wordlessly returning to their rooms. It was the first time in a while that I felt that I led them effortlessly.
Even though Lumina was the official party leader and guided us well, I would spur us to action most of the time. After the experiences between the three of us, and to an extent all six thanks to the labyrinth, we shared mutual trust. And that's why I felt no worry as we approached the area I'd scouted out previously.
The others followed behind me as I walked in front of the wooden warehouse. We got a few nasty looks on the way here, but I was finally confronted by someone.
"Hey, mister. Whaddya think you're doing here, carrying around your team of tagalongs?" he said. He had some bravado for someone speaking to me, but it was entertaining to see. I always liked people who didn't back down, whether it be because they didn't know me or because they were just that confident.
Another man, a good bit bigger than him, pulled the guy over to the side and harshly whispered audibly, "That's the North God you're messing with, man!"
"The huh?!" The first man blanched, craning his neck at me as if in disbelief.
"Take it easy, I've got it from here," he said, patting him on the back. The first man scurried away, apparently taking his dignity with him.
'Some bravado,' huh? I snorted.
"Forgive him, Lord Kalmann the Third," he bowed his head slightly.
"It's not often I get this level of deference here outside of the Demon Continent," I noted, looking at him. "Don't be so tense."
"I see. Thank you. What's your business here?" he asked.
"We're… on a bit of a search mission right now. Surely you don't mind it if we look around in there?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
His eyes darkened for a fraction of a second, easily missable in the darkness of the early morning, but there nonetheless. "Yes, of course, we don't mind. It's just a load of crap in here, anyway. Stuff we'll supply to Wind Port come the end of this Rainy season."
"I see. Come on, you two," I glanced back at Ares and Roxas. As Ares passed in front of me, I lightly tapped my foot twice, as if impatient.
Don't let your guard down. That was the message I silently conveyed to him. He glanced back at me with a knowing look in his eye. I'd set up plenty of these signals in preparation for our arrival in Milishion. My status as a demon wasn't well looked upon there, and we could have easily ended up walking around with a target on our backs. I had confidence in my strength, of course, but I knew firsthand how people pulled tricks. The signals were precautions.
Roxas walked into the warehouse, his eyes cast in shadow. He didn't display his emotions outwardly often, and it made him look rather unbothered. His long, blue hair swayed as his eyes flickered between me and the man. He was no doubt equally suspicious of the place.
The inside was an innocuous warehouse with little more than what the man described.
"See? Nothing to worry about. The name's Kim, by the way," he said warmly.
"Right." If this was just a cargo warehouse, why were people who skulked around the city all day reporting here on a nightly basis? There was something more to this, but what exactly was so special about this warehouse?
We walked deeper into the warehouse where there were men sitting on some chairs and playing cards. Strangely, they sat in front of a wooden box that could easily fit five people inside of it, and perched on it was the only torch in the warehouse.
"Oi! You three. How many times do I gotta tell you not to fuck around in here?" Kim barked at the men.
"Yes, s-sir!" one of them responded, peering at me with cautious eyes. They all got up, one began to gather the cards but stopped when Kim glared at him. After that, they exited the warehouse.
Kim sighed and took a seat in front of the torch. "Forget them. Have you found what you've been looking for, Lord Kalmann the Third?"
I looked around the place. Maybe this place was just a meeting place? In that case, this was indeed a dead end. I struggled to accept that, though. There was just something wrong. I looked back at the man.
Then, Roxas stepped closer. Leaning in, his breath warm against my ear, he whispered, "That there's not a torch. It hasn't given off smoke since we came in. If it did, those men would've been poisoned to death by now."
His voice was low, meant for me only. Kim's eyes were on me, but I could tell that he was still oblivious to any suspicion.
The warehouse was completely sealed shut, with no windows or doors aside from the big one at the entrance. Roxas was right. They would've succumbed to Spelunker's Poisoning. I nodded, stepping forward.
He's got a good head on his shoulders, that Roxas. I strode over, approaching the torch. Kim tensed, reaching into his back pocket with bewildered eyes.
I relaxed my core, brought my knee to my chest, and then harshly punted the man in the chest, sending him sprawling. I approached wordlessly, unsheathing my sword, and brought it to his neck on the ground.
"You, leave. Don't breathe a word of this to anyone. If you do, you'll quickly find that you'd be so much better off leaving this place with a bruised rib and not dead in the water."
Kim's breath hitched as droplets of sweat began to form on his temple. He gasped out, "I won't."
"Go on," I commanded. He staggered to his feet, caught his breath, and sprinted out of the warehouse.
A beat of silence.
"That was so freaking cool!" Ares shouted. His uncovered eye was practically shimmering even in the darkness.
"Keep it down," I sighed. "If someone shows you the slightest sign of aggression in a situation like this, like a hand moving to a pocket, you act. If you let anyone land the first hit, you lose."
I kept my composure and gave him some choice words to remember. Internally, though, I was beaming in pride. I would've taken disciples earlier if I'd known what it'd be like!
"Yes, I won't! I'll be able to move like that someday," he balled his fist and raised it to the ceiling.
He did that a lot. I found it odd, but Ares was an odd person all in all. However, it was genuine, and I prefer it if people were that way.
Roxas tested the torch, deciding to pull down on it. The box slid to the side as if on some track, a set of stairs appearing underneath.
"I knew he was hiding something, but to go this far…?" Roxas left his words hanging. "Just how did you find a lead like this?"
"To be honest, I was doubting whether or not this was going anywhere before you said anything.," I nodded. "Let's walk and talk."
And walk we did. The stairs led to an underground cave that oddly resembled the passageways of the labyrinth we raided. I was on alert for any monsters, but during the hour-long walk, we encountered nothing.
At last, we reached the exit. We were in some wooded area, too sparse to be the Great Forest but certainly outside of Zant Port. We continued to walk until we came across a large building hidden among rows of trees. It didn't look at all like a warehouse, but rather
A shoddy cabin built into the ground.
Ares walked ahead of us. "They've practically got to be hiding something here. Even if it's not Lumina, we'll find something… hopefully."
I shot Roxas a glance and tried the door. It was locked, with no signs of life from within. There was a window, but it was boarded up. I sighed. Roxas stepped next to me and wielded his staff. I shot him a nod and stepped out of the way.
"Magnificent spirits of the water, oh, imperial thunder prince in heaven! Strike down them with your majestic sword of ice—Icicle Break!"
Ares startled, his eyes widening. An ice bolt slammed into the door, splintering it. It was followed by several more, throwing the door off its hinges and slamming it to the ground in an icy haze.
"Hey! If we were gonna break the door down, you shoulda told me!" Ares piped up, running up to the entrance of the cabin.
Roxas chuckled, "I'll remember that next time, for sure."
A deep, fearful shout came from within the cabin. When I peered in, I locked eyes with some thug whose face was twisted with panic. He ran over to a trapdoor in the ground, slammed it open, and scampered down the stairs.
"Let's go after him!" Ares grinned, rushing in and beckoning us in.
"That was the plan!" I replied, descending the stairs and catching a glimpse of the man running away.
...
Shortly after that, we were in some sort of dungeon-like complex, with cold, stone walls surrounding us. Alarm bells started ringing in my head as I heard the faint sound of someone groaning, and the smell of an animal wafting past my nose.
"Shut up, you little shit! I'll kill you!" Those words followed by a desperate cry for help echoed throughout the halls, and all three of us stiffened.
"..." Both Ares and Roxas seemed visibly disturbed.
I knew these people were smugglers… but to go as far as trafficking people?
I looked into a cell and was hissed at by a beast folk girl, one covering the bodies of her companions as if using herself as a shield. My eyes widened as I watched the desperate look in her eyes.
This is… I balled my fist.
"There they are! Intruders!" a group of rough-looking people spotted us from across the hallway.
"It's the North God!" one exclaimed in a wavering voice.
A wave of panic spread throughout their numbers. One shouted, "H-He can't take us all down! Focus on the two kids behind him!"
We all tensed but I waved a hand behind me. "You two, release the children. I'll stay here and cover your backs."
They silently nodded and hurried over to the iron gate, wrenching it open and rushing to their aid. I looked at the children in horrible conditions and I clenched my jaw tightly. What if it were Lumina or Ares in that state? I forced the image out of my head and faced the group of men approaching me
These people were truly… evil. When historians wrote of vicious people who pillaged and raped, these men were among their ranks.
And if I was a hero… that meant I couldn't hold back. I retrieved Kajakuto from my back and held it in both hands for the first time in what felt like far too long. Not too long after that, it was coated in a crimson coat of filth.
Author's Notes:
Hey! This chapter was supposed to be out on the 1st, but I got caught up with IRL stuff and the like, as usual. This is where things are going to start picking up, and I'm super excited to finish off Volume 4. We've been in this volume since October, for god's sake! I'm sure lots of you are anticipating the Paul reunion arc, and so am I. I recently revamped my outline and I'm pretty confident in what I have planned. Now, just to get to writing... the hard part. School's starting soon, and I might slow down releases. I'm hoping I can stay somewhat consistent, but that remains to be seen for now.
Anyway, Lumi Greyrat is turning 1 entire year old in three days! Make sure to wish her a happy birthday, haha. It really feels like it wasn't too long ago that I opened up that doc to start writing this and look at where I'm at now. Thank you all, and as always, special thanks to my dedicated beta readers Pritchard and Beta Orionis, both of whom have their own stories worth looking at.
See you soon! The next chapter is titled... Chapter 43: Bonfire
