...
..
"Ey-.."
"Hey!!"
"Woaaah!"
I was awakened by the sudden shout which sounded as if it came out of nowhere. I looked left, I looked right. Then I saw the person. It was a girl, about my age, maybe one year younger though. She had blonde hair with a streak of dark blue, she was heterochromatic- a blue left eye, and a green right eye. She was dressed as a and wore thin, red glasses. She seemed like a gentle type of person, kind and reserved- responsible and honorable..
When I surveyed my surroundings, I was no longer laying on the cold barren unforgiving snowfields.. the howling deadly winds no longer blown. Instead, I found myself lying on a soft bed in a dimly lit room.. the walls were made of stone bricks, on which the light of the room's fireplace reflected upon. The windows were tall, and arched- color stained adorned with designs of the Ultima Star- the Crkvanist faith's religious symbol. The ceiling was a tall one with wooden arches that seemed to go up oh so high. The room was dead silent, save for the crackle of the gleaming fireplace flame, and the loud, yet muffled rushing sound of rain outside- it was quite relaxing..
"Judging from your wounds.. it doesn't really seem all that bad."
"Huh? Wounds? But... I didn't get cut... or hit with a blunt force..."
"Well, not your typical wound, that is. It's a magical wound. Your magia receptacles are all twisted about and just stray off in completely different areas ! This isn't normal.."
"What sort of magic did you cast, exactly?"
"I uh.."
"Don't know."
"You.. don't know? I do wonder how that's possible... eh, never mind." She
shakes her head in disappointment and disbelief simultaneously.
"So.. is this, you know.. fixable..?"
"With some effort, yes, yes it is amendable. I will advise however, it will sting a little."
"Aah alright. Not my first checkup.. I can pull through."
The girl says nothing. Instead, she walks over to a small cupboard near the window- she bends over to one of the lower shelves of the cabinet and opens the sliding door, and shuffled around it a bit before pulling out an old looking earthen bottle. She shakes it 5 times, and then slowly pulls out the bottle plug- then she stops, waits for a few seconds, and quickly pulls it out again !
"Alright... this should do the trick... for the most part."
"What is that?"
"This? It's a simple magic network restoration antidote. That's the easy explanation anyway, the detailed version would go over your head!"
"..."
"Oh no! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say or imply you were a fool! It's just that it's very complica-"
"It's fine, it's fine... divine priestess. We all make mistakes after all..."
"Oh.. Uh! C-could you please call me by my name..? I prefer to not use that title whenever it's not necessary.. my name's Abbadiese. Abbadiese Kravinskyy.. though if you want to call me by my first name, I don't mind.."
"No, no I couldn't! My name's Mikhail, by the way. Mikhail Olenev."
"It's good to meet you, Mr.Olenev!"
"Ahem! I should probably get back to work... you could die if I don't do something about this."
"DIE?!?"
Kravinskyy says nothing further, instead she just switches back to her calm and cool demeanor, and starts to focus on healing me.. it's impressive how she can seem just like some innocent bashful girl one second- and the next she's a professional. I guess it came with the profession.
"Aaaalright... hold still please.." I do as instructed, and freeze in place making not even a single movement, waiting for her to do what she planned. 5 seconds pass... nothing. 10 seconds.. and then- a cold liquid drips down onto my bare back. It feels chilly, which then quickly turns into a burning stingy sensation.
"Yowch!"
"Do not worry sir, the pain will subside very soon. After that, you need only rest for a short while and then you shall be healed."
"It's that simple? Wow, medicine sure has come a long way."
"This magia network restoration elixr is a very special medicinal item that was given to us, the Doroscwenciye Monastery as a gift by the Royal State Church Organization. For anyone else, a bottle of this would probably go for... 6?, no 7 Gold Pieces."
"7 Gold Pieces!? That's a lot."
"Medicine is a commodity, you know. Especially the magic kind. It's kind of why you don't see adventurers or anyone else hauling potions around everywhere."
"Anyhow, that's about all there is for your treatment, so I'll be taking my leave, for now. You should heal up by dinner... so don't forget to be there by then! I'll call you in."
"Got it, thanks."
"Oh and uh, Kravinskyy? Where are Romanov, Yuri and Tinel?"
"They've already healed, and are in the monastery dorms commons."
"Hmph. Lucky."
"Do not worry, you will join them soon enough, sir." That sounded rather ominous.. I'm sure she meant nothing strange by it though.
То be completely honest though, I was too tired to think about it- my eyes were closing... drifting off into sleep... when I woke, it was to the scent of food. More specifically- it was quiche- a Dalician pie-like dish originating in the southern agricultural city of Urozhay. It was invented during the meat shortage from 98 years ago. A disease had spread amongst most livestock, making them highly ill which made them unfit to eat. Many of them died. Later on, it was discovered that what was causing it was a new genus of invasive weed species which was quickly studied and had an elixir that healed its poisons invented.
During the meat shortage however- in order to fend off hunger, people got creative- inventing all sorts of dishes with the crops they had, one of these dishes being quiche. Later on after the shortage had ended, people had adapted and modified the recipe in various ways...
My train of thought is disrupted when I hear a voice call from outside of the infirmary in which I lied. It was Tinel's voice.
"Hey! Mikhail, come on out, dinner's readyyy~!"
I pulled off the blankets which covered me, and slowly got out of bed. I was most likely healed by now, however I didn't want to risk any further potential injuries. To my surprise however, when I got out of bed- I was standing upright as normally as any other day. I guess that elixir really did work!
When I opened the door, and walked through- the light from the candles assaulted my eyes after having been mired in darkness for too long. The lights were dim- but my eyes hadn't readjusted to the light quite yet. The room was a rather spacious one made of wooden planks, with the same arching roof as in the infirmary. A chandelier hung from the ceiling bearing the candles which lit the room. At the far northern end of the room was a fireplace of red bricks, an iron fence between the flames and the outside of the fireplace. The floor was decorated with a green and gold traditional floral carpet- probably from Urozhay.
In the center of the room, was a wooden table- a tapestry draped over it, with plates- covered by crumbs. The table was surrounded by several armchairs, in which sat Tinel & Yuri. Romanov wasn't present though. In the other chair, sat a child who I didn't know. He seemed young, I guessed he was probably a resident of the Monastery. Tinel was reading a book, and what Yuri was doing was anyone's guess.
"Hey guys. What's up?"
"Waah! Goddamn Mikhail, you surprised me !"
"You probably shouldn't be saying that in a monastery, of all places. Yuri."
"What do you mea-"
"Nope, yeah you're right.."
"So uh, where's Romanov?"
"Master Romanov said she'd be heading out to the Monkhood Temple to report the dragon incident."
"Monkhood... Temple?"
"Mhm. It's what they call the Guard Station here. Guards are called Warrior Monks, and more adept with magic than anything, really."
"That's a far cry from Polam's Guard Corps."
"Talk about culture shock! Eh bro?"
"Tell me about it, Yuri..."
"So uh, what now?"
"Well... there's not much TO do... all we can do is wait for the Starlight Festival at this point. It's tomorrow."
"Romanov will be there, right?"
"She sure will. She'll get back to the monastery at about 9:00pm at night or so..."
"Gotcha. Well, I'm gonna go eat..."
"Mikhail, the food is cold by now and the fire has been put out... use these Pyrestones to heat it up. They're low-capacity so it'll heat up the food, it won't incinerate it or anything."
"Pyrestone? What're those?"
"They're magic items, they'll produce raw magic heat elemental energy when you tighten your grip around them."
"Magic items? I don't have a mage's license like you though, Tinel..."
"Don't think too hard on it. You don't need a magic license for petty matters such as a Pyrestone."
"Alright..! Thanks." I make my merry way onwards to the kitchen when I stop. I don't know WHERE the kitchen is... then as if he read my mind, the unknown child speaks up. "Just go down the stairs up ahead, then go through the door on the left. That's where the kitchen is."
"Oh, thanks! Uh.."
"Goran. My name is Goran."
"You don't have a surname...?"
"I... don't remember which family I come from... so I have no name. The monastery, is my family.."
"Oh."
"You don't have to worry about it, big bro. People make mistakes, right?"
"Y-yeah.."
I said not a word more, and walked off to the kitchen. After thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that I probably shouldn't go around asking questions about everything under the sun, because I could hit a nerve, like I just did. I gritted my teeth as I was overcome with a wave of cringe. Entering the kitchen, my nose was overtaken with the scent of baked food. I suspected it was the Quiche... being able to smell it even after it was sitting out for a while was promising, usually a sign of good cooking. That's something Yuri told me once, at least.
I pull out the Pyrestone Tinel had lent me earlier..
"So.. I just hold it firmly and.."
The gem, which had been dark in coloration up until now, suddenly lit up to be a warmer, brighter tinge of orange, and I felt a pleasant heat radiate against my hand, some of which later escaped to the food. When the spell concluded, the Pyrestone was transparent- just like glass, the color gone.
When I bit into the Quiche, it was nice and warm...
"Magic, you surprise me, yet again..."
Having eaten, I started to feel rather drowsy. I don't know why but whenever I ate, sleepyness would soon follow. It was strange. In any case, after savoring my meal for a while, I got up and headed back to the commons room. Sitting by the fire seemed wonderful right about now..
Then Romanov emerged from the front door..
"Hey there everyone, sorry I'm late.."
"Romanov, you.."
"What's the matter, Mr.Olenev? Is something amiss?"
"Your armor, where is it? You're wearing... a coat?"
Romanov rolls her eyes.
"Well yes, Mr.Olenev... My suit of armor is not the only set of clothing I own... just imagine it- wearing that thing all day would become very uncomfortable.."
"Ahaha... sorry, sorry.. it's just.. I've never seen you not wearing it, so, it's a bit shocking."
Romanov doesn't say anything, and chuckles quietly. Yuri's loud yawn interrupts the moment.
"Man... I'm gettin' tired! I'mma head off to bed..."
"Here, let me take you to the dorms, Borysenko.. "
"Huh, you know where they are, Eriksen?"
"Yep, Master Romanov and Abbadiese and I are good friends, Abbadiese visits this place often for some of her duties, and sometimes stays here even. We visit her whenever possible, kind of like now."
"Although this visit is, in some ways.. business related."
"Business... you mean the box from Zantio..?"
"Mhm, correct, Mikhail."
...
"Say, Tinel. I've never thought about it but, WHY are you and Romanov accompanying us on our journey in the first place? It was originally supposed to be just Yuri and I."
Tinel averts her eyes. Then Romanov jumps in.
"Oh, where to begin... Tinel and I were originally visiting Polam for personal reasons.... when we ran into that man. He seemed, shady... immediately he came up to us to hire us as escort personnel for a job. When I asked who we'll be escorting, and for what... well he only mentioned you two and a few details about you. As for what we'd be escorting..."
"Not a thing, eh..?"
"Exactly on the mark, Mr.Olenev."
"That guy's got some guts, I'll give em' that. I mean, to ask a guard of the kingdom something so shady ! But... why did you accept..?"
"In all honesty, Mr.Olenev, you really think Tinel and I can live off of a guard's salary?"
"B-but.. you're a captain.."
"Master Romanov... why'd you drag me into this.?"
"You are equally complicit in our little side hustles, Tinel."
"Hmph.."
"W-well now ladies... let's not get into a tussle now!"
Yuri tried to settle down Romanov and Tinel but to no avail.. they were in their own headspace.
"Yo, Mikhail.. y'tired? Let's just go to bed...."
"Uh.. yeah I dunno man.. I'll just take the sofa here.."
"That's bad for your back, sir."
So said Kravinskyy who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"If that happens, I'll rely on your healing, divine servant of Cristell!"
"You really shouldn't count on me constantly.. also, please drop the formal title... it makes me a little uncomfortable."
"Right. Still though, I think I'll be fine here..."
"Well, I warned you. Anyways, sleep well everyone. I myself still have to go do some cleaning and upkeep on the Sacred Altar.. you know, because of the Starlight Festival and all..."
"Oh, right. Take this pillow Sir. I don't want the Monastery to be responsible for you ruining your spine."
Kravinskyy tosses me a pillow.
After that, we all go our separate ways and fall asleep not long after. I slept comfortably that night. For the time being, all my troubles were out of the way, and tomorrow I'd be able to enjoy the starlight festival.
Man.. this pillow sure is soft. I think I heard Kravinskyy say something about this.. them being stuffed with Silkbird feathers? If that was true, these things must've costed a fortune, I'd guess maybe around 14 Gold Coins. After all, Silkbirds were a species native to the Holy Nation of Acchlesion, which was all the way on the other side of the world. Even there, they're pretty rare sights. Or so I've heard.
I sleep off into the night without any disturbances, as peaceful as can be..
The next morning comes, the sun rises once more. Only this time, it's bright. Unusually bright. More so than ever! I could see it pouring in through the windows, despite curtains covering them. I shield my eyes from the sunlight, trying to not go blind.
"Morning Mikhail!"
"Oh Yuri, good morning."
"So, today's the Starlight Festival, huh? I'm kind of excited, to tell the truth."
"Likewise."
"Anyways.. you'd best get dressed. We're heading out for breakfast."
"What do you mean..?"
"Well, we're here in a new city, in Heligsgrad. It would be a shame to not test out the local cuisine, don't you agree? Either way, Kravinskyy'll be payin' for it."
"Yuri! You didn't nag her for this, did you?"
"What?! No! She suggested it herself! Why you always gotta make me look like a jerk!?"
"Okay, okay I understand. Just wait for me outside.. I'll be ready in a sec."
"Yeah!"
I pulled on my boots and my traveling satchel. I thought about bringing along my sword, but then decided against it. I was just going out for breakfast, it's not like I needed it. Plus, this wasn't Polam where people would be unfazed with someone carrying a weapon out in public- it's kind of a big deal in most of Dalis, especially here in the Holy City. It'd definitely be frowned upon.
"Well, it's about time to head out.. I think we're to meet at the monastery gatehouse?"
In any case, I quickly navigate the halls and pass through the various rooms until I exited the front door. Coming out the front door, I was greeted by a circular front yard- the path which went up to the front door stretched all the way to the stairs which lead up to the monastery's front area. The entire monastery looked to be surrounded by tall, dark trees, and stretched out all the way down to the bottom of the staircase, creating somewhat of a grove. It was kind of an impressive view..
"Woah, that'll be a long way down. I sure hope I don't trip and fall.."
I visualize the scenario- I take one wrong step, and down the stairs I tumble, getting bruised all over and breaking every single bone in my body along the way. Cristell aid me in recovery if such a thing were to transpire..
When I reach the bottom of the staircase, I'm gasping for air. It didn't really hit me just how high up this monastery was only until after I've been climbing for 5 minutes! In front of me was a giant arch of white stone, ornated with carvings of Crkvanist saints and Cristell. Standing under it, was Romanov, Tinel, Kravinskyy and Yuri. When Yuri noticed me, he called out.
"Yoo Mikhail!!"
"Hey, did you guys wait long?"
"No, we didn't."
Despite her saying that she and the rest of the crew didn't wait for me too long, I could tell she was just being modest. Tinel was always like that for some reason, though I thought it was a positive trait, if anything. Like Romanov, she wasn't wearing her guardsmens' uniform today, her conductor wasn't with her either.
"Alright everyone, should we head out?"
"Lead the way, Kravinskyy."
This was actually quite exciting for me. When we arrived to the city, one of the first things I wanted to do was explore. But due to certain circumstances, what with the injuries Romanov, Tinel, Yuri and I sustained, that wasn't exactly possible. But now that a new day was upon us, the situation had changed for the better.
The first thing that stood out to me, was the size of the buildings. They were TALL. Most of them looked to be about four storeys tall, giving off a rather imposing aura. Almost every single building was made of white marble, with blue tiled roofs. Every single structure looked extremely beautiful- as if there was a whole legion of the kingdom's most skilled architects, artists, and designers working on them. The windows were color stained glass, some with depictions of holy scenes from the Crkvanist scripture- the "Tome of Light", others were just geometric or natural patterns, but still looked just as beautiful. You could tell just how important this place was. People bustled about the street. Merchants, blacksmiths, scholars, builders, people from across all of Dalician society. I expected this, since Heligsgrad was described as "the sacred centre of the kingdom, where any and all are welcome".
After walking down the main street for a good while... we reach the main square. Kravinskyy then leads us to a building to the far left of said square, to what seemed like some sort of shop..? I was kind of puzzled what we were going to do there.
"Uh, Kravinskyy.. what're we doing here.?"
"It's a worthwhile stop, trust me. You do want to protect your eyes from the sun, yes?"
"....Well sure I do."
"Then, do wait here, please."
With that final word, Kravinskyy turns around to the shopkeeper- a bald, fat elderly man with grey eyes who wore a dark brown tunic , sitting behind a counter, which covered most of his body. The hanging sign read Dalisachenoyeva Heligsgradni Radnja od Magia. This translated to " Dalician Heligsgradian Magic Store". She wanted to buy a magic item? Now seemed kind of like a strange time though.. when I looked at Yuri, he shrugged in confusion. Same went for Romanov and Tinel.
"Ah! Abbadiese! What brings ye' to me store? What're ye in fer?"
"Good morning Mr.Jarlesten! Could I get 5 pairs of the Sunflare Lens?"
"Haha.. sure thing m'girl.. y'got yer friends with ye today eh? Can't say I've seen them around before.."
He fixes his gaze on us, squinting his eyes, looking us up and down. Uwaaah.. then he calls out to me.
"'Ey there sonny! Nice ta meet ye'! Where ya' from?"
"Oh! Likewise, and I'm a Polamnian.."
"Polam? Yeesh..."
"Hm? Sorry, Mr.Jarlesten.. what's wrong with Polam?"
"Oh nay! I don't have any issues with the city itself! It's just the mention o' it, reminds me of a certain feller.. Zantio.."
"Hold on! Y-you don't mean... Zantio Slavahar... do you?"
"Good graces! You know that lil' weasel? This is a small world, no doubt about it!"
"I used to take care o' that little brat back when I was still livin' in Dremvaqua City! His mother wasn't a Dalician, and his fa-"
"Mr.Jarlesten..!"
"Sorry, sorry! I got a habit of oversharin' sometimes.. anyhow, them Sunflare Lens.. that'll be 19 Silver Pieces in total."
Kravinskyy rummages through her item pouch for money, and eventually manages to scrounge together 19 silver coins, which she handed to Jarlesten who set them down on another table behind the counter.
"Well, uh.. I suppose that'll be all, Mr.Jarlesten. Take care."
"Mhm. Certainly."
"Anyhow then, should we head out?"
"Of course, but first.. put these on. All you need to do is hold them up to your eyes.."
She hands each of us a pair of Sunflare Lens.
"Careful now, if you drop them, they'll go haywire. The magic is pretty loose on these."
When I held them up to my eyes, a warm tingling sensation shot through my fingers. The lens then dissipated into countless orange magical particles which vanished just as quickly.When they did, the strain the sun put on my eyes was no more.
It was hard to explain, but when I looked at the sun, although I could see its brightness, it didn't hurt my eyes.
"Weird!"
This came as a surprise to everyone, excluding Yuri. I was a little surprised actually. I mean, he WAS Dalician, right? The change didn't really seem to faze him all that much. I decided to ask why. But I tried to be a little subtle about it..
"Yuri, whaddaya think, of the Sunflare Lens? Makes all the difference, huh?"
"No...uh not really. "
"I was born outside of Dalis, so my eyes are used to the sunlight, you see.."
"Outside of Dalis? Where?"
A shadow falls over Yuri's eyes. I probably struck a nerve with this topic, so I chose not to engage in it any further. After all, pushing such topics can never be a good idea.
"Sorry Yuri.. I di-"
"No need to apologize ! Mikhail bro!"
"Anyways everyone, should we get going? We're just about done here, after all."
Kravinskyy pulls us out of our conversation, back into reality.
"Now that we're done here, we can finally go eat~"
about time, I thought. My stomach really was starting to feel empty. We said our last goodbyes to Jarlesten and walked off further into the square. The city square was crowded with countless people, in the center at the foot of the statue were 3 priests, 2 were handing out amulets, the one in the center was preaching about how on this day of each year, Cristell blesses us with the gift of parting the clouds so we could see the grandeur of the skies above it. His voice was full of passion.
There was a sizeable crowd around him, most listening to his words, but others were staring at the statue of Cristell, lost in it. Apparently this was normal? Well, there was nothing wrong with holding faith in god. It was a good notion. We pass a few more streets and then go down an alleyway that seemed less populated and a bit more narrow, until we emerged onto another major street.
"It's juuust around the corner, everyone."
I see the restaurant she's referring to. It seemed like a homey little diner, windows on either side of the wooden frame door that also had glass. The place was called "The Pilgrim's Stop". When we went inside, a warm breeze blew over our face. The restaurant was, by no means a big one. There was four tables, each with 2 chairs on either side, each with woolen tablecloths, red and white in color with a floral design. Each table had a glass vase in the center, each with 3 morning glory flowers and Urozhayan Goldbells. The floor was made from cobblestone, and in the northernmost front of the building, was the front counter, made of oak wood. It looked like it was pretty old. In the back there was a stove, and a few shelves and cabinets, stocked with ingredients, recipe books, plates, bowls, silverware, and cleaning tools. On the far right side of the room, was a door- probably leading to the pantry.
Manning the restaurant, was a girl who seemed to be several years younger than most of our crew. She was blonde, with twintails, short bangs, and shoulder length hair. She had pink eyes, with white pupils. On the right side of her hair, she wore a butterfly hair pin, made of bluesilver and with a gold trim, a blue and white striped collared shirt, with a necklace bearing an amulet in the form of a symbol I didn't recognize. It looked something like a lightning bolt. Over the shirt, she wore a green apron. Her trousers were light blue, made of probably wool and fabric.
She looks up in our direction, when the door opens. "Oh! Abbad- Go-"
When she sees us, she flies into a panic.
"Abbadiese!? Who i-is they?"
"Now now, calm down, Regiesse... they're just some new friends from Polam. Nothing to be afraid of. They're not gonna hurt you, see?"
She points towards us. I feel kind of put on the spot, so not knowing what to do, I give an awkward smile and wave.
"Hello..."
It didn't exactly cross my mind right away, but something about this girl stood out to me.. I suppose the first thing was her name. Regiesse? That.. didn't sound Dalician to me. Wait a minute..! It sounded like an Imperial name!
"Hey Romano-"
Romanov puts a hand up, right in front of my face. As if to silence me. She looks at me and shakes her head as if to say: "Don't continue that sentence, please." Then she leans in to me and whispers in my ear-
"Yes, Mr.Olenev.. she may be an Imperial, but she has.. special circumstances."
After Regiesse calmed down a bit, I cleared my throat, and approached her carefully, trying not to startle her.
"Uh.. hey there.. my name's Mikhail, Mikhail Olenev, you?"
"...I am Regiesse.."
"What about your last name?"
"Last..name?"
Kravinskyy chimes in.
"He means your surname, and it's okay, you can tell him- it doesn't mean anything in this country."
"Oh. Well, my name's Regiesse Lloire! Good to meet you. I work here under the owner, Irina."
"You don't own this business?"
"Of course not, Borysenko. She's only 14 years old. She's a child."
Yuri's stomach growls.
"Sorry! You're hungry. I guess you're all here for breakfast, right? I may be a child, buuuut I know my way around the kitchen ehe~"
The nervous and timid demeanor that Regiesse bore a little bit ago suddenly vanished- replaced with that of a smug and proud girl.
"Oh right! Please do refer to the menus, over there on that table."
She points to the table on the bottom right side of the room, near the windows. We graciously take our seats.
"Please, choose anything! I'll handle it all!"
"Are you sure, Regiesse? I could help you , you know."
"No Abbadiese! You're a guest here! I couldn't just let you give up your comfort on my account. Please, relax!"
Despite Lloire's protest, Kravinskyy shakes her head and gets up from the table.
"No, no, that shan't do, Regiesse. I will help, I insist upon it."
An idea pops up in my head.
"Hey everyone! Why don't we all help out? We can't just let them do all the work!"
"Now there's an idea, Mikhail!"
"I must say I agree, Mr.Olenev."
"Way to be efficient, I approve."
Everyone agreed that joining in with Kravinskyy and Lloire to help in the cooking process would be the best course of action, so that's exactly what we did. The Pilgrim's Stop was a traditional Dalician restaurant, but thanks to Yuri, the idea of trying an Imperial style breakfast- of eggs and sausages, with a side of tomatoes and toasted bread caught on. Supposedly, it was something Yuri read about in a book once. After we finished cooking and ate, we were rendered rather immobile for a bit. I don't think I've ever eaten this much in my life in one entire sitting..
"Jeez I'm STUFFED..."
Yuri groaned as he laid his head down on the table.
"I hope you liked it.."
"If you enjoyed that, I have another idea!"
"Ahem! In in my homeland, Hromvik.. After breakfast we typically have tea and other pastries along with it~"
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Hm?"
"If I eat, or drink even just a bit more.... my stomach's' gonna burst."
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news in that case but... we've got to get moving now. The first major event of the Starlight Festival is going to start soon, in the Frostoak Grand Park!"
"Frostoak Grand Park..!? That's on the opposite side of the cityyy!!"
"Well, I'm sure we have some time to spare, right Kravinskyy?"
Kravinskyy averts her eyes and readjusts her glasses as if to say "No, no we do not have time to spare." Yuri seemingly got the message and let out a loud sigh in disappointment. Despite that, he set aside his protest.
"Well.. if we ought to go NOW, then let's get goin'."
"What about you, Lloire?"
I thought of inviting the girl out to come with us. Since she was recently escaped to here, the Kingdom of Dalis. Wait a minute, that probably wouldn't be a good idea. She was an Imperial, and..the reputation of Imperials in Dalis is basically nonexistent.. we couldn't risk somebody trying to hurt her out of spite.
"Well, I actually have to look over the restaurant! Until Irina returns, that is."
"Mm. Yeah, I understand."
When everyone got ready and all belongings were accounted for- we hit the door and waved goodbye- a gesture which was also reciprocated by Lloire.
"Oh! I almost forgot!"
"What did ya' forget, Mikhail?"
"Just a second Yuri."
I pace over to the counter where Lloire was still present- cleaning dishes. I pulled out four Silver Pieces from my side pocket. I set them down gently on the table.
"Here- for you and Ms.Irina."
"H-huh? You don't have to!"
"It's for the good service. Tipping, I heard it's called. An Imperial tradition, right?"
Lloire nods in embarrassment.
"T-thank you.."
After that, I walk on over back to the group.
"You kinda just short-changed yourself bro."
I rolled my eyes at Yuri. Why did he always have to be negative? Well, whatever the case I didn't let it bother me.
"No need to be such a sore, Yuri."
"I almost forgot, everyone.. sorry but unfortunately I can't come along. I have to return to the monastery to lead morning prayer. That and the head priest is out, so I must act as the central authority there for the time being. I know this is last minute, sorry." And so, Kravinskyy excused herself from the party, and sprinted on over in the direction we came. It was a shame she couldn't come with us but in the end duties and responsibilities always come first before play and relaxation. I knew that better than anyone.
Now that all was said and done, we left the restaurant- satisfied with our meals. We make our way through the alleys and all the other roads until we came to a huge crevice which a bridge was built over, connecting this side of the city to the other side of the city.
When I asked Romanov about it, she said it was an extremely important historical structure. During the Era of Man, when Lady Cristell the Crkvanist deity still had not reigned supreme- a great earthquake had caused pandemonium upon the lands of Dalis. It was so severe that in the process, the mountains on
which the city of Heligsgrad proudly sits upon in the modern day were torn asunder by sheer force. Later, in the Foundational Period of Dalician history, as is generally referred to (the early days of the kingdom), when the city of Heligsgrad and by extension the Crkvanist Church was just founded- one of the first orders of business was to connect the two sides of the mountain, at the time the other side was rich in valuable minerals and materials, and taking the long route to simply excavate them and bring them back had started to become tiresome.
Because of this, many Dalicians started to push for some easier method of getting to the other side. And so, on behest of the royal government and municipal council of Heligsgrad, the "Unification Bridge" was formed thus.
Not long after, we arrived to the Frostoak Park- or the gateway at least. There were huge crowds, everywhere.People were pushing themselves in so they could pass through faster, others were just camping out waiting for the space to clear. Guards were also present, to keep some form of organization about- controlling the foot traffic. In any case, it didn't seem like we'd be getting in right away.
"This is sure some crowd... You think we're ever gonna get through it? What if we miss the event ?"
"Have faith Yuri. I'm sure we'll be in time~"
"Why do you sound so unsure about that?"
"You think so?"
"Yep."
I start to feel a bit thirsty, all of a sudden. My lips were so unbearably dry. So I pull my satchel off my back. Inside it, amongst all the other necessities I'd brought along was a waterskin. Putting it inside my satchel amongst all the other items was probably a bad idea, because something could've happened to it, and the water could leak. For all I knew, the wooden cork could come loose and then everything would just pour out... Well I was overthinking it.
As I was about to pull it out, I realized that I haven't at all felt the box that we were supposed to deliver! But, how was it missing? Ever since I'd left Polam, it never once left my bag!
"Uh... Romanov, we've got a problem on our hands.."
"What's the matter, are you feeling unwell Mr.Olenev?"
"No! Not that, actually I'm not feeling sick at all! Ugh no, that's not the point! Listen, the box, it's missing!"
"The..box? Wait, surely you don't mean..?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Yes I do."
"Splendid. Inform Mr.Borysenko, I'll fetch Tinel. Be quick, please."
"Dude, we got to go now."
"Huh? But we're never gonna be back in time for this! We'll lose our spot in the crowd..."
"YURI! It's about the 'Box!'"
"Oh.."
"Well, let's go!"
We quickly sprint away from the entry of the park, and back across the bridge to rendezvous with Romanov and the others.
"So, how in the world are we supposed to find this thief?? Zantio will kill us!"
"At ease, Mr.Olenev. We can figure this out.. going to the guards corps would usually be the first course of action.. even as a guard captain, of course. After all this city is out of my jurisdiction."
"But we cannot, since this crime is related to our escort mission given to us by Slavhar.. and guards taking up mercenary work is strictly forbidden."
"Absolutely correct, Tinel."
"So uh, what are we going to do?"
"Hey Mikhail, everyone! Over there!"
"What, Yuri?"
"I saw some real suspicious looking person zip by just now, right around that corner!"
"That has to be the perpetrator then! Up to everyone! Chase after!"
We start running-hot on the cloaked figure's heels. Running as fast as we can, passing countless people, crashing into some, only to get back up and continue. At some point, we entered a residential district, we're closer to the pickpocket than ever when all of a sudden, they crouch, boost themselves off the ground- leaping up high in the sky landing on the roof of a house, and runs off.
Wow! What athleticism! It's.. almost superhuman...
"Hah... haaah... damn..!
"We lost them!"
"Now, now.. Mr.Borysenko, not all hope is lost. We will find a way, surely."
"Alright, but what are we going to tell Boss Zantio? He's gonna be absolutely furious!"
"That... will be a problem indeed.."
"I guess we're right outta luck.. tsk!"
"You are out of luck indeed."
"Huh? Who is that!?"
When I turn around to see who the mysterious voice came from, I see a man dressed as a guard, also accompanied by several other guardsmen- they looked less important than him though, he was probably their superior.
"Apologies for not giving my name. I am Vladimir of the 14th Division in the Monkhood Temple. Blessings upon you."
"So.. you're a guard, then?"
"Correct, Mr.Mikhail Olenev, and company- Agniezska Romanov, Tinel Eriksen, and of course, Yuri Borysenko."
"Huh?! How do you know our names??"
"Heh. As guards tasked with upholding the justice in this holy city, it is only natural we would know everything about the criminals who threaten the peace- it is in fact, our obligation. As Lady Cristell said in the Tome of Holy Light... knowing your enemy is key to defeating him."
"That said, I am quite disappointed in you, Romanov. To think you would stoop so low.. associating with criminals. Ms.Eriksen as well, you had a promising future under the tutelage of a member of the esteemed Romanov family!"
Vladimir shook his head in disappointment. He then laid his hand on the sword which sat in its hilt on his right hip. He didn't draw it though, rather he was preparing himself for a potential battle. The other guards behind him entered a combat stance with their polearms as well, however he motioned to them to stay at ease.
"Well, I'd love to chat longer, however this I do proclaim."
He points his sword at us.
"You are hereby under arrest! Under my authority as a guard of the city of Heligsgrad! Any attempts to resist arrest give me the right to subdue you."
Romanov mutters to us...
"Everybody.. we should probably just submit for now. We are outnumbered, Mr. Olenev and I do not have our swords on us, Mr.Borysenko cannot fight, and Tinel's magic is no match for Vladimir here- a Churchmage."
"A churchmage? What's that?"
"A military serviceman- highly ranking magic users, they typically serve directly under the Royal State Church organization, hence the name. However they occasionally serve the royal family themselves."
While we're chatting away, Vladimir's subordinates get to work on apprehending Yuri and I. Vladimir himself takes the task of cuffing Romanov and Tinel.We were then lead away to a wagon, loaded onto it and then we set off. A guard who is sitting on the opposite side starts speaking to us.
"Okay folks, here's the next steps. Once we arrive to the Monkhood Temple, we'll take you into the jail to get processed, questioned, and then at that point you'll be awaiting your trial in court tomorrow."
"Needless to say, trying to run away from captivity will only make your situation worse. I hope you understand."
"So, what crime are we charged with?"
"Ah.. Mikhail Olenev, if I have it correct? Those details are to be discussed upon your arrival to the jail."
"Is that legal..?"
I have no idea Yuri, I have no idea at all...
As these thoughts passed through my mind, amongst other ones- such as what else they'd do to us besides questioning, how long they'd keep us in jail, and what our sentence would be, we finally arrive to the Monkhood Temple. It's a tall stone brick tower, surrounded by thick stone walls, At the front was the main gate- two giant wooden doors. On either side of the gate, were watchtowers, both with several watchmen occupying them. The "temple" was separated from most of Heligsgrad, so I could get a good view of the city. From here it looked absolutely stunning, especially with its cathedral in the center of the city. Too bad I wouldn't be able to admire it at all.
As we got closer the doors opened. When we entered, the only thing I could see was a modestly sized church amongst a garden and some housing for the guards.
"Is this really it?"
The guard sitting on the opposite side spoke up.
"On the surface, yeah. Pretty much everything else though is underground."
When the cart rode onto the platform in the center, it started to descend deep down into the ground. After just a few minutes, we've went down so deep I could barely see any of the light from outside. It was replaced with the bright orange torch light which lit up the long stretching stone brick halls that were seemingly endless.
The partition went down, and all the guards hopped out of the cart, one after another, accompanied by the sound of clanging armor. Vladimir however, stayed on the cart, in the front seat. He motioned towards the guard who was keeping watch over the crew and I.
"Mishka, go ahead and get them settled in. I've got some things to take care of back here."
Mishka bowed, and then turned towards us.
"Come on,let's get going. The sooner we get this finished, the better, yeah? Don't make this harder on me than it already is."
We all decided to follow along. In the end, he was right. Causing more trouble was only going to make things even worse. Plus, if we ran or fought back, the city guard could easily outnumber us. He led us through the entry hall, and then into a smaller room. It had a table, and every other wall was covered by a huge shelf, each which were crammed with countless papers and other random objects and keys. At the southern end of the room was a desk with papers, pens, books and ink strewn all over it.
Mishka looked at the desk, and shook his head, muttering something.
"Man I need to clean this pigsty up.." He went over and ruffled through the mess for a few minutes, and pulled out a small, faded and worn out key.
With it, he unlocked each of our shackles while we awkwardly stuck our arms out which fell to the ground with a loud 'CLANG!'. Where the tight shackles once gripped onto my arms was a red outline.
Yikes. I just hope my arms don't fall off or something. I'm too young for such a crippling injury!
"Don't get too comfortable everyone, we're not exactly done here. I gotta put these on you before you get to your cell."
"What are they exactly?"
"Cufflettes. That's what they're called at least. But all you need to know is they use magic to prevent you from leaving your cells until we come and get you out for interrogation." The cufflettes were made of bluesilver,
"Magic..."
Hearing Mishka's explanation seems to have sparked an idea in Yuri's head. He slowly glances at Tinel as if expecting her to play along with his plan. She shook her head as if to say "no." He hung his head in disappointment. I'm pretty sure I heard him sigh quietly.
After he scribbled down our names on a notepad amongst a few other details, he led us out the room, down the hall, after which we descended further down into the complex via a small stairwell.
Just how far down does this building even go?
We reached the prison. He opened a cell, and then impatiently urges us to go inside, almost pushing us. He shut the door, locked it, and then walked off as if he was in a hurry somewhere.
"So, that's it then? What now?"
"We could try breaking out of here! Through that window!"
He pointed to the only window in the entire cell. It was on the wall opposite to the cell door. Though it was too small.
"Mr.Borysenko, are you daft?! It is too high up! Moreover, how will we ever fit through such a small space? We also have these 'cufflettes' to factor in. They will be no small obstacle you see."
"Right. It's just wishful thinkin' I guess."
"You know, come to think of it.. it was a night just like this when I first left home from Urozhay to the Royal Capital for my training as a mage to enlist in the guard.. it's kind of poetic that my life as a mage would end on the same type of day."
Klang! Klang!
It was Mishka again, knocking on the cell bars to get our attention.
"Well now, you're still here.. color me surprised. Anyways, it's time to get out, for questioning."
"Already? Come on, it's the middle of the night.."
"Oh don't you worry my Zalief friend. You'll have plenty of time to sleep off after this until the trial tomorrow. Now get up already."
As we silently marched through the halls Yuri who looks bored, disappointed and half asleep leans in towards me, and mutters-
"Hey.. what if we stole his sword and used it to make him let us run away?"
"Yuri, are you insane? Do you want to die?"
It seems that I've finally lost my life long best friend to lunacy. After all, no sane man would ever think of attempting such a stunt even if for freedom. You'd have to have a death wish to do something that stupid. Plus the chains that once again bound our arms would limit our movement.
"Okay, here we are everyone. You'll all be interrogated, one at a time. Mikhail Olenev, you're going to be the first one to go. Hurry up, get a move on."
"Can you get these chains off..?"
"Not a chance."
I sigh as I walk into the small room. There was nothing except two wooden chairs and a table. One chair was empty, in the other was sitting the same cloaked figure that robbed us back at Frostoak Park. "Hey! You're that one person who pickpocketed me! What're you doing here?"
"Please sit down, okay?"
"R-right.."
"Thank you for your compliance."
The hooded figure removes their cloak. It's a girl, she has short cyan colored hair, ears that kind of looked like that of a cat, both of which were pierced with 2 golden earrings. Her eyes were a bright pink, with white slit shaped pupils.
"Y-your ears.."
"What, never seen a Feliese person before nya~?"
"I'm a Polamnian.."
"Ah. That explains everything. It's no wonder if you come from a mostly human city."
"Either way nya~ let's not delve into things that don't really matter."
"For the record, please state your name and age."
"Mikhail Olenev, 18 years old."
The girl simply nods along and scribbles down the information on a notepad, ignoring everything else around her. If anything, she was comitted.
"Alright.. moving on."
"Before I question you, I should explain the situation you're in. Otherwise we're not gonna get anywhere."
"The box you were carrying contained a highly illegal magic item called a corrosion core. It's full of raw magia so potent that it could overpower even a god, capable of destroying their divine bodies."
"Why did you have this?"
"HUH?? Wait, wait hold on! What's all this about? Deadly magic? Killing gods? This is all news to me!"
"...Oh really nya~? You were the one carrying this thing, and you're telling me you didn't know what was inside? There was even sealing magic on it. There was clearly a lot of effort to hide this."
"If you're going to lie nya~ at least try harder. I don't like being taken for a fool, you know."
My mind is racing. What is all of this? Was this just some giant, terrible mistake? Was I just dreaming? Did I pass out and collapse on the ground and hallucinate all this? My chest feels heavy, and I could feel countless droplets of sweat rushing down my neck, it felt gross. It became harder to breathe, surely this wouldn't end well!
"Uh hello? You look a little pale nya~.. here take this. It'll help calm you down."
She handed me a small vial about the size of an index finger filled with a green liquid.
"It's an elixir that relaxes the nerves."
"Thanks, ms.. uh.."
"My name is Lyudmila Natas."
"Right, thank you Ms. Natas."
"Don't mention it, I can't get anything out of you if you're freaking out on me here. I'm doing myself a favor, not you."
"Okay now. Let's get back on topic.. how did you get this?"
"..."
"If you stay quiet you're only going to make this harder on yourself."
"I got this from my boss, Zantio Slavhar back at my job in Zantio Industrial Guild in Polam. He was kind of weird about it, and didn't tell me what was inside."
"He even went as far as to tell me there was a detection spell on it, to deter me from looking inside."
"Right, nya~..."
"But, if it was so suspicious, why didn't you just refuse nya~?"
"Well, I couldn't. I mean first of all, he's been taking care of me ever since my parents died when I was young. I felt like I owed him my life. I still do actually."
"Huh, that's devotion alright I'll give ya that, nya~.. too bad it lead you to the wrong place."
"That, and he's the type of person who won't take no for an answer. If I said no, he might've fired me, and then I'd be homeless again. He controls my life in a way."
"So what was your plan with this thing?"
"I was instructed to deliver this to Aurora. But nothing further than that."
"Aurora.. hold on a moment, that's.."
"What is it, Ms. Natas?"
"Nothing nya~."
"So, you're not going to arrest Zantio, are you?" Natas stands up from her chair, and stretches, and then looks at me, her eyes half closed.
"Can't promise anything..though it's definitely something that needs to be taken into consideration, after all the only leads we have on this crime for now are your alibi.. and it makes Mr. Slavhar look a little suspicious. If he's innocent and this is a misunderstanding, we'll let him go, but if not.."
"Though for 32 Silver Pieces.. I might consider forgetting all the crucial details nya~."
"Wait really?! That-"
"Hah! As if! What a gullible kid."
"Buuut, let's get back on topic. I'm going to need you to sign this document here. By doing so, you pledge that you've told the truth to the best of your ability nya~"
Natas handed me a contract, 3 papers long, each side chock full of obscure legal jargon that I could only describe as nonsensical. I hesitated, but I eventually signed.
"Anyways, that formally wraps up your questioning."
When I get up, she hurriedly pushes me away, towards the door and shoves me out causing me to almost trip and face plant on the cold hard stone floor, catching Mishka's attention in the process.
"Oh, I guess you're done in there. Alrighty then, according to the list... you're next, Yuri Borysenko." Hearing that made Yuri stiffen up. He gets up from the bench that he was sitting on, and walks into the interrogation room. During the interrogation process, I hear all sorts of screaming, yelling, and shouting from Natas. At one point, I'm pretty sure I heard a loud THUNK! Yikes. The whole interview process with Yuri took about 32 minutes. When he came out, he was bruised. After Yuri, Romanov was interviewed, followed by Tinel.
By the time everybody had been interrogated, I had lost track of how much time had passed. I was having trouble staying awake. The entire time Mishka led us back to our cells he muttered under his breath- "Damn you, Lyudmila, thanks to you being so aggressive with the suspects, you've just made more work for me.."
Poor fellow.
We collapse onto our beds, (although they were really more like sacks stuffed with straw and rudimentary cotton, though they did the trick, so I didn't really complain.)