Chapter 9: Out of the shadows
Elyre was so exhausted.
"I would advise you to take a nap while we are here because you won't be able to get a wink of sleep in that dungeon," Lyssandria told her. "After your first night there, you won't be the same person any longer. Your mind will be blocked with thoughts of a somber hue. Your only wish will be to cry, for you will feel weak and desperate until you lose all your senses and even your memories. It's a curse, you know... But in fact, I have never felt the full strength of the magic, for Queen Lyneanne made a small protective spell on me. She was afraid that, because of the spell in the Dungeon, I may forget the legend revealing the Moonlight Crystal's location -- which I am supposed to know…"
A black building appeared on the horizon, but it was still far away; the Dungeon of the Lost was there. The Sun was hidden behind the stone walls as if it was playing hide-and-seek with them. Even though the captives were still far from the Dungeon, they could feel certain heaviness in the air around.
"This is because of the Dungeon's curse," Lyssandria explained.
That very instant the carriage suddenly shook and halted.
The girls waited inside for a while, but nothing was happening and they could hear no voices outside. Also, they heard the carriage doors unlock.
Elyre was very much afraid. She'd lived a protected life in Wild Wood, and now she was alone somewhere far from home. She wasn't sure what had just happened. But the carriage had stopped. And finally she got out.
She saw twelve mage guards lying on the ground unconscious as if they'd just inhaled some kind of poisonous gas. There had been no battle, no noise... She looked around but she saw nothing dangerous.
However, there was someone there, lurking in the shadows, perhaps way too invisible for her. Aristhaeus observed as a young girl came out of the carriage... Was this the notorious Fierce Wind all mages had been unable to catch?? He frowned on realizing just how much Ademon must have exaggerated his achievement.
But...
"The amulet," the archmage suddenly whispered, his eyes still fixed on the girl's silhouette. The firine was wearing an amulet. The very same amulet he'd seen in his dream on the spirit guardian.
When he saw her face, he was certain he'd seen her somewhere before, but he wasn't sure where. He wondered if he should come out of the shadows and speak with her... But no. She might be afraid and she would probably guess that he had freed them. Even though he really wanted to, he thought it wasn't appropriate to do it right now.
What should he do then? What was an appropriate way to meet her?
Elyre called another captive out of the carriage. That was Lyssandria, Ademon's sister. In fact, Aristhaeus didn't know her but he'd heard about her so when Elyre mentioned her name, he could recognize her.
He just felt so frustrated that he couldn't ask her about her amulet immediately that when Elyre and Lyssandria decided to leave, he followed them from the shadows, walking slowly.
His idea to merely take his revenge on Ademon was now completely forgotten, as his wish to get closer to Elyre's extraordinary amulet prevailed.
"They don't know the way back to Wild Wood," he realized. They were in a hurry to leave the place near the Dungeon of the Lost. Then he told Leritte, "Leritte, can you make sure that the Queen's minions are searching for Fierce Wind in Wild Wood?"
"If this is what you want, indeed," the bird answered and soon flew away to carry out the task given by the archmage.
Meanwhile, Elyre and Lyssandria kept on walking for quite some time. They reached a small meadow. Elyre said she would call her friend, a unicorn named Storm Eye, to help them. Unicorns were as fast as wind.
"May the winds connect us through the endless sky," she said. This was like a magical formula; a response followed immediately… The clouds seemed to lower near the firine; the air whirled, forming a small tornado. Then, as if it was a wild mane, the flow of wind hurled to one side to reveal two pretty diamond eyes. A snow-white unicorn with a crystal alicorn (the unicorn's horn) and a mane of silk threads appeared. It was as unearthly as surprisingly real.
"Storm Eye, please help us," Elyre spoke. "I dare bother you because I don't have any other ideas what to do."
"Do not worry, my friend. I am always happy to help if I can. But, I must tell you I sense strong magic here," the unicorn said.
"Strong magic?" The firine was startled.
At that moment, she heard a voice and saw a man in the distance, coming from the side of the road,
"Hey! What are you doing? This is a no-magic zone near the Dungeon of the Lost. You can't summon unicorns here." The dark blue eyes of the mage and his long black hair... he seemed strangely familiar. And she knew why. It was difficult to forget such a shameful situation -.-
No-magic zone? She raised an eyebrow. It was the first time she heard of such a thing.
"Ah, it's you..." he added, "...that explains a lot. ...Are you in need of help?"
"No, thank you," she answered. She tried to ignore him... she didn't know him, after all.
As she seemed worried to speak with a stranger, he added,
"If I wished you ill, I would have betrayed you in the castle. But I didn't do it."
"You were very kind. Thank you," she said. Meanwhile, Lyssandria rolled her eyes as she'd been completely ignored by this mage. She agreed with Elyre; it wasn't a good idea to accept help form a random people.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?"
"Yes, I am sure. ...Storm Eye knows the way, thank you."
"I will be on my way then," he said.
She smiled, "The road is there," and pointed at the distance.
"...on my way to Wild Wood," he sighed.
How strange! First they met in the castle, now here on the road, and he was going to Wild Wood too... She just stared at him as he mounted his horse and waved goodbye at her.
"Who was this person?" Lyssandria said once he was gone. "Do you know him or you don't?"
"No... I don't know him."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone