~Alceus
Chapter 3
Comrades
Comrades
A door on the second floor of Guild Palace was slowly opened, as a lean man slipped quietly inside. He had long auburn hair that was tied haphazardly into a loose ponytail and matching eyes that drunk in his surroundings carefully. The man was lean and slightly muscular, but perhaps, the most memorable thing he carried on him was a pair of claws that was cleverly concealed as iron gauntlets with plastic studs.
The room was minimal in its decorations, not like the other rooms in the palace that boasted their specialties through the objects stored inside the room. A green fur carpet was by far the most expensive thing on this room. The man stepped forward as he bowed formally to the other occupant of the room. There, sitting in front of him, was a woman who surveyed him with little interest. It was not surprise to the man when the woman acted as if she knew that he was coming and therefore had been waiting for him. She's the famous Scout Master after all. It was a give away from her title that she is excellent in hiding and spotting presences. Well… let's just say that she is one heck of a woman with a colorful reputation that involves some maiming, blackmailing, and all the likes. Despite that, as proven by a poll last year, the Master is still one of the top 10 eligible women of the year.
"Yust, isn't it? Tell me what brings you here today?"
"Well, I want to know whether you have a job for me to do. Life here is too dreary for my likings."
"Unfortunately I have nothing at the moment. But.." the Scout Master stepped out of her chair and went to look into a window pane. Her eyes stared at the mountain in afar, "perhaps you could check the mountain path for me. Just a short while ago, a beam of light struck somewhere near the Snov Fork. I want to go there myself, but I'm afraid my position as a figure head of the Scouts refrains me from doing anything other than doing paperwork and looking pretty."
"That light, huh?" Yust closed his eyes, trying to recall the light he saw earlier, "Sounds interesting. Even if it doesn't, I'm pretty sure it trumps baby-sitting some scout wannabes." Bowing again at the woman in front of her, he murmured a farewell before turning to exit the room.
"Yust!"
"Yes?"
The Scout Master didn't answer and an uneasy silence reigned in the room. Yust's head was inclined slightly to the Master while he stopped his stride.
"Nevermind. Please take care of yourself." The woman shook her hand dismissively and went to gaze out of the window once more.
Yust frowned as he pondered over the strange display of hesitance, before finally smiling at his master. "Your concern is appriciated.. Excuse me then.."
--
A quick, almost invisible shadow leapt between the trees on the Snov Mountain Road. It was a common knowledge to the adventures that if you follow the road to its fork, you will eventually find yourself in the Northen Kingdom. Ignoring the creatures that made the area their home, the shadow finally stopped at where the road divided and revealed itself as the best scout of his generation, Yust.
"This is too quiet." Yust surveyed his surroundings critically. "There should be many wolves around here, yet all "I've seen so far are just Pururus and Urchins. Not even a Bawoo. Could this be the side effect of the light?"
"TAKE THIS!!"
A sudden yell from afar grabbed Yust's attention. There were three people, novice adventurers by the looks of their armors, engaged in a battle with a Crimson Bawoo. "What the!? So far as I know this is not where their hang out place. Not only the wolves vanished, but there's a Crimson Bawoo here too!? What the hell is going on here? " He cursed under his breath before leaping nimbly unto a near branch that is the closest to the battle.
"Sorry guys.." said a female titania, breathing heavily after healing a black-haired swordsman, "but I think I'm running out of mana.."
"You don't need to apologize, it's not your fault. It's too strong for us right now," assured the man that was standing in front of her, sword drawn. He was gripping his sword tightly and tried his best to control his ragged breathing.
"Yeah, it's not your fault, Latte. It's Kaistern's fault for unable to land even a single blow," said a blonde man next to the two, pointing accusingly at the man wielding the sword.
Kaistern glared at the blonde man, who held a broken wooden spear on both of his hands. "It's not like you could hit it either, Alceus." He reminded coolly.
"Stop it, Kai, Al!" Latte yelled, "It's barely the time to fight between ourselves!"
Observing the scene from above a tree, Yust focused on the red dog, ignoring the group who had shifted their attention to each other and ignoring their enemy. "The Bawoo is indeed too much for them, but this one has a far more superior physique than the other Red Bawoos I had fought. It's best that I lend a hand here. Wouldn't want my master to know that I have casualities on my mission."
The red Bawoo, once again feeling ignored, charged forward to Latte while her 'kinght's were arguing at each other. Unfortunately for it,a hidden shadow struck the beast's head with a claw, ending its life that very instant.
Surprised by the appearance of another man who killed the enemy that they'd been having a hard time against, Kaistern eyed the man suspiciously, still standing in front of Latte in a protective crouch. "And you are?"
Yust sighed at the trio before him," I saved you guys from a certain doom and that's all I get? Cold suspicions? Where had the thing called manner flown off into this time?"
"Thank you for saving us," Alceus quickly answered the man while he lowered Kaistern's sword, "I assume you're not an enemy, right? Sorry for his behavior, he's always like that."
"Don't talk as if you know me." Kai snapped coolly but he retracted his sword and moved to stand beside Latte who looked vaguely amused by the exchange.
"Now, now.. Please calm down, everyone. Please don't fight. We're comrades, right?" Latte chided the two glaring men gently before turning to Yust, "Like Alceus said, thank you, and we're sorry for being rude. We have been fighting for quite a long time and have lost our cool along the way--"
"Wait a minute, Latte!" The spiky-haired man quickly cut Latte's words. "He's not our comrade! We just met him, and we still don't know anything about him!"
"And so we are, Kai," said Latte with an innocent smile. The remark caught the swordsman off guard and he couldn't help but feel a little bit hurt by the Vates' remark. "I just met you a few minutes before we met him for the first time. I don't think that I know you guys more than your names and what you looked like on the outside. But we fought together, sharing the hardship to survive this together, which I'm sure we'll be dead if any of us wasn't here. I think that's enough to call us comrades."
"Well.. if you say so.. "the blonde man agreed as he spared a glance at the tallest of the trio who was looking at the ground, an unreadable expression on his face. Latte, who was standing beside him, was looking apologetic and tried to meet Kai's eyes in vain.
Watching the people in front of him, Yust laughed as he crossed his arms, "Everything is as this lady said. Now let's go back to Acropolis. It's not safe here." He turned around and started to walk away, followed by Kaistern and Latte.
"Hey, Al, what are you waiting for? Let's go. You said you have questions, right? We'll answer them when we're back at the city."
Alceus gazed into the sky. 'Are they the people you're talking about, Tita? But either way, it seems interesting. I guess I have to thank you for sending me here..' "I'm coming!" He shouted as he run to the others, leaving a trail of blood to Snov Snowfield that the four of them failed to notice.
--
"I.. won't let you have her…. You'll have…to kill…me first!"
A faint voice, yet full of determination, was coming from a full armored knight. His once pure white hair that had once earned him the nickname of "Snow" had now been dyed crimson. The hideous crimson had been the result of his fallen comrades' wounds… But still, he stood, ragged and tireless, in front of the enemy. Corpses were piled into some sort of sick throne that his enemy was sitting on. His enemy's red eyes stared down at him coldly, making him feel as if he was nothing but an ugly sin that needs to be purged
"Finish him!" A slow, cold voice commanded unfeelingly. As soon as the order came out of the man's mouth, a band of DEMs surged forward. Two in particular brought out laser guns and aimed it at the man. The knight had no chance whatsoever and his armor did nothing to protect him either as the beams pierced it like a needle to a paper.
The masked man stood up from his throne and made his way to the knight's body, which now was hardly recognized as human anymore. "I salute your bravery. But it's just a matter of time before I get her. And when the time comes... Let's just say you're better off in your grave." With one last cold stare to the lifeless imbecile in front of him, he turned to the DEMs. "It will be troublesome if she reachs Acropolis. Find her at all cost!"
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