"Head inquirer, I extended my congratulations on a successful accomplishnt."
Kerien nodded with a smile to the passing mages. With a trail of followers, the head inquirer calmly walked through the dim hallways with her head held high. But aside from the looks of admiration everywhere, so were casting them strange glances.
"Are you alright?" Jagra whispered to Gaile, who was walking beside him. The elf stood a head taller than all the mages in the group, making him quite eyecatching. Furthermore, he was the only one garbed in dark coarse clothes.
Gaile flashed the man a smile, nodding his head as he drew nearer to Jagra as they walked with the group. He couldn't care less if they looked at him with disgust or fear. As long as he was with him…
The group finally arrived at their destination with the Head Inquirer opening the door. A fresh scent imdiately greeted their noses. Moreover, a soothing mana surrounded them, offering a feeling of warm comfort.
At the center of the big room, three people stood patiently. One was a tall elven oracle with different-colored eyes, the other two seed to be powerful sentinels. Sothing otherworldly and holy appeared to surround the tall elf… like a heavenly being who ca to witness the mortal realm.
"Ah, you have arrived at last…" The elf spoke.
Kerien bowed respectfully and spoke with an apologetic voice. "Forgive us, lord Na'El. There have been so delays with the preparations."
"Oh, it's alright.." Na'El dismissed it with a smile. He gestured towards the huge round table, offering the rest to take a seat. The others followed politely while they secretly glanced at the elf in awe. They heard he was the Lynari's ntor. A holy oracle from the floating islands of Artheia. Indeed, he seed like a person worthy of teaching their Lynari.
Jagra and Gaile sat by each other's side, curiously staring at Na'El. All of a sudden, the latter turned to them and gave a smile which slightly startled them both. The oracle's eyes paused a few seconds more towards Gaile before giving a short bow. Blinking, Gaile offered a bow as well before composing himself.
"…?" Jagra furrowed his brows. Was there a secret greeting he didn't know about?
The two sentinels stood at either of the oracle's sides as he took a seat. His eyes beca deep as he showed a smile. "Now let us begin…"
…..
The eting took longer than Jagra expected. However, he couldn't bla anyone since the subject, relating to the deciphering of the curse, was complex and very lengthy. When it was ti for Jagra, who stood to represent Gaile, to explain his findings, Na'El wore a curious expression as though he was absorbing every word that ca out from Jagra's mouth while also admiring the young artificer externally.
Jagra kept a stiff expression as he continued. The eting ended after a few hours, with Lady Kerien handing the stone artifact that stored the information regarding unraveling the curse.
"Moulin really sees you as a friend."
Jagra flinched when Na'El spoke to him while Kerien was busy talking to the other mages. The artificer blinked, feeling flustered. "Ah, S-So in the end…"
"Indeed, he got caught." Na'El chuckled, shaking his head. "However, we only scolded him a bit. That wild soul… none of us can actually ta him. Perhaps, it was fate for him to co to you…"
Jagra's gaze softened. "Ah… his presence helped us truly. Moulin always has…"
"Mmm…" The oracle smiled before turning to Gaile, who silently observed them from behind. "I could recognize a fellow elf from Thundralln if I saw one…"
Gaile flinched, lowering his gaze. "My identity is undeserving…"
"Who knows what fate has in store for us… My friend, the future is boundless. But it all cos to you to steer them…"
Sothing flickered within Gaile's eyes. He could only thank the oracle and resu silence. Jagra warmly placed a hand on his back in reassurance.
Suddenly, a warrior entered the room, striding towards the elven oracle. "My Lord, we have co to transport the artifact to the vault? The rest are waiting outside."
"Artifact?" Kerien turned to Na'El.
"Ah, the Aetheric Vaults shall be responsible for investigating the red feather core extracted from the red demon army."
"It's the first ti I've heard it…" Kerien furrowed her brows.
"A formal announcent shall be delivered to you shortly. This decision was hastily made…"
"I see…"
With that, the oracle politely excused himself and followed the sentinel. Everyone could see the door open, revealing two n and three arcan mages escorting a big box covered by black velvet cloth. They curiously inched closer, trying to get a better look.
Jagra wasn't an exception. But the mont his eyes fell on the box, a terrifying feeling shook him to the core. He stiffened abruptly, feeling his vision darken and everything silent. His heart pounded erratically as this alarming sensation crept into his soul and choked him.
Then images flashed before his eyes. A grotesquely wide grin and blood eyes stared at him ominously. It was laughing, but he couldn't hear it. He felt its gaze was tainting, as though mocking them. As though this creature knew sothing they were too foolish to realize…
"Jagra?…"
When the box was finally wheeled away and Na'El and the n finally left, Gaile was the first to notice Jagra's strange actions. His wide eyes were gripped with fear, looking as though he had witnessed sothing nacing.
Jagra looked at Gaile with trembling pupils.
"Are you alright?…" One of the mages asked worriedly.
"S-Sothing is wrong…" Jagra gasped, clutching the lapels of Gaile's clothes. He felt sothing terrible was about to happen… no, he had to do sothing!
That feather…
Suddenly, Jagra pulled away and hurriedly burst out of the room. His actions startled everyone, causing them to call out for him in confusion.
Uneasy, Gaile had run after Jagra, tracking his quick figure through the corridors.
"Sir Jagra!"
"Where are you doing?!"
"Ah! What were you-"
The man ran, deaf to the world. The only thing he could hear was his pounding heart and the blood rushing into his veins. His footsteps violently resounded throughout the hallways as people quickly steered away from him. The noise would imdiately alert the guards. However, Jagra thought none of it.
He only knew that sothing about that feather would cause much harm. He had to see it.
Sohow, he finally made his way towards the arcan vaults and saw a few guards surrounding a particular enchanted door. Jagra didn't hesitate to approach it.
"Sir, are you-"
"Forgive ..." Jagra said as he raised his hand and subdued the guards with binding magic. Their eyes widened in shock as they fell to the ground motionlessly.
His instincts scread about how close he was to danger. Jagra gritted his teeth and hurriedly kicked the door open.
Bang!
He rushed in.
"Oh? Jagra..." A gentle voice spoke, imdiately stopping the man in his tracks.
With disbelief in his face, Jagra panted and stared at the renowned elven oracle elegantly standing in front of him. The tall figure wore a look of surprise before confusion gradually settled. He looked as though he was wondering what had brought Jagra here with much haste.
"I..." The man blinked, nervously scanning the entire room for any anomalies. A conspicuous box was placed on a pedestal at the center of the vault. A few tables, filled with ssy papers and books, were lined up against the stone walls.
The more he looked, the thicker his sense of fear grew. His pupils trembled in confusion. It's the feather... He swore it was doing sothing to him.
"Hm?"
Swallowing, Jagra clenched his fists. "Ah, I-I... I was worried about the relic."
"This?" The elf's brows furrowed, gesturing to the box. "Ah, if you're worried about the corruption, you don't need to be. The artifact is sealed inside, and the vault holds well."
"I see..." Jagra intently kept his eyes on the box. "I was just... I wanted to see it for myself."
The elf nodded. "Strange things tend to make us mortals ever so curious. No matter the consequences..."
Consequences?
"Well, then. You may look as much as you want. However, do inform the guards. I shall be on my way to return..." Na'El smiled.
"Of course..."
Na'El elegantly left the vault. However, the scent of flowers was still there, cool and refreshing. Jagra only shuddered. Everything seed too cold for him.
"How can I explain this?" He muttered as he approached the pedestal.
The feeling has never faded. It only grew, suffocating him too much, he felt it was harder to breathe. His pupils scanned the entire vault once more. There must be sothing... sothing...
But everything seed to be in order. He couldn't sense anything wrong.
No... he can't be mistaken...
Or was he?...
"..."
His gaze finally fell on the box. With hesitant steps, he neared the pedestal until he was standing in front of it. Perhaps, the sentinels will be notified of his intrusion soon. He might as well... investigate...
Jagra placed his hands on the box's latches. Click!
Huh?...
He had braced himself to face nurous complex seals or alarms that might be triggered. But there was nothing...
The silence beca suffocating. The foreboding feeling grew inside him while a gloom-filled weight filled the entire room.
Jagra's heart thundered as he opened the box.
"Jagra!"
A loud voice filled the vault as Gaile and the mages, followed by a group of ard sentinels, filed inside the room in seconds. The second they laid their eyes on the man standing silently at the center of the room, their footsteps paused warily. An ominous aura overwheld them instantly.
"Jagra?" Gaile was the first to call out, cautiously approaching the man. "What's wrong?"
Suddenly, the man in front of them turned to face them with a pale face.
"The Red Feather is gone..."
.....
In the hidden realm...
The temperature seed to fall a few degrees lower. A crease ford between Moulin's slender brows as he slowly left the bed and gazed at the windows. Confusion filled his silver eyes.
The once bright skies had turned dim as though a storm was about to fall. But although this realm was quite good at mimicking the real world, it was designed to make its occupants comfortable and relaxed, opting only for warm and cloudy weather. So how could it rain here?
Suspicion filled Moulin's gaze. Lowering his gaze, he spotted a familiar figure standing in the garden.
"Na'El?..." The youth's head tilted slightly.
The elf seed to notice his gaze and even gestured for him to co down. Na'El still wore his signature elegant smile as though nothing would ever bother him.
Moulin had no reason not to do so, but sohow... that smile seed off.
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