The meeting room grew quiet for a moment after Alex, leader of Redwake, laid out the plan. Both the Rising Heroes and the Wind Chasers had listened carefully, and the air in the room was thick with seriousness. But just as Alex was about to continue, the silence broke.
The door slammed open with a sharp creak, and all eyes turned. A woman with a cold yet elegant aura was dragging a man by the arm. The man staggered a little, clearly smelling faintly of alcohol, while the woman's expression was hard and commanding.
"You are coming whether you want it or not," she said firmly, pulling him inside.
The man sighed dramatically, shaking his head as though the world was against him. "Tch… no need to pull so hard, I was already coming." His voice carried a mix of laziness and reluctance, yet it was clear he wasn't going to fight back against her.
Elric stepped forward from the Wind Chasers' side and quickly explained. "These two… are the remaining members of our group. That's Darius," he said, pointing toward the rugged man who leaned lazily on his shovel, "and this is Anya."
The moment their names were spoken, Rok burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Anya dragging Darius again! Just like always. Some things never change."
Anya's cold expression softened slightly at Rok's words, but only for a second. She quickly turned back toward Darius, her glare sharp enough to cut through steel. "Stop acting lazy for once. Listen carefully. This is important."
Darius raised his hands in surrender, a crooked grin on his face. "Alright, alright… you win. Let's hear what they have to say." His tone shifted, and though his body language was still relaxed, his eyes grew a little more serious. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small bottle of alcohol, and took a casual sip while everyone else stared.
Adriana rolled her eyes and muttered, "Unbelievable."
Alex coughed lightly, drawing the focus back to him. He repeated the important details about the corrupted beast and the possible location of the Obsidian Jewel. Most people in the room grew tense at the mention of the jewel, but Darius simply sighed.
"Corrupted beast, jewels, ruins… sounds troublesome," he said in a half-whining tone. But when Anya shot him another glare, he immediately straightened his back, his voice turning serious. "Let's do it."
Everyone chuckled lightly at the sudden change in attitude. Even Hugo, usually uninterested, cracked a small smirk. The meeting then continued, with plans forming for the journey to the ruins the following morning.
Throughout the rest of the discussion, Darius leaned back, occasionally sipping from his bottle, while Anya sat upright and attentive, absorbing every detail. The contrast between the two made the others shake their heads in amusement.
Once the meeting ended, the groups dispersed, each heading their own way to prepare. The ruins would not be forgiving, and everyone knew they had to be ready.
---
The Rising Heroes gathered outside, walking back toward their quarters in silence at first. The weight of the situation hung over them, but they knew worrying would solve nothing. Preparations were the only thing in their control now.
Doran stretched his arms and looked at the weapons they carried. "Give me your blades. I'll sharpen them before tomorrow. No excuse for a dull edge in the middle of a fight."
Lila handed over her sword first, her eyes shining with determination. "Take care of it, Doran. It's been with me through everything."
Adrian followed, placing his weapon carefully into Doran's hands. "Make it ready. We can't afford to stumble tomorrow."
Drakar, wordlessly passed his massive axe into Doran's grip. His only movement after was sitting down on the nearby steps, folding his arms as Fizzle perched on his shoulder. The little creature happily munched on a cookie, unfazed by the tension around them.
Doran inspected each weapon closely. "Not bad condition, but I'll make them shine. Adrian, your sword's balance feels slightly off, I'll adjust it. And Lila, I'll reinforce the edge with oil, should give you a cleaner strike."
"Thanks, Doran," Adrian replied, his voice calm but steady.
Meanwhile, Sera had walked a little further with Lila. She held her staff loosely, eyes narrowing as she conjured small bursts of offensive magic. "Come, Lila. Let's train for a bit. I'll attack, and you try to defend and strike back. Tomorrow won't give you time to hesitate."
Lila gripped a practice sword tightly, nodding. "I'm ready."
The two began. Sera's spells shot forward small seed that opened up with some grassy explosion, forcing Lila to parry and dodge quickly. Lila's movements were sharp, but not perfect. One seed exploded near her shoulder, leaving a faint mark on her clothes.
Lila gritted her teeth, adjusted her stance, and pressed forward again. She deflected another spell and lunged closer, swinging her blade. Sera spun lightly out of the way, smiling faintly.
They continued like this, strike and counter, spell and slash. Lila's breathing grew heavy, sweat forming on her brow, but her strikes grew cleaner, more precise.
After a solid exchange, Sera lowered her staff. "Good enough for today. We'll be fine tomorrow."
Lila wiped her forehead, and smiling. "Well that was fun Sera. I truly enjoyed it"
Sera smiled " Yes it was, I feel ready."
A short distance away, Adrian sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep meditation. His breathing was steady, his focus turned inward. The air around him felt heavier, as if he was centering all his strength for the battles to come.
Doran looked at him, then at the others, shaking his head. "That guy… too serious."
Drakar let out a small grunt, which might have been agreement. Fizzle ate happily, holding up the half-eaten cookie.
The moment was small, almost comedic, but it broke some of the tension in the group. Lila giggled lightly, even while catching her breath.
As night began to fall, the Rising Heroes gathered their weapons back from Doran. Each blade gleamed sharper, polished and ready.
Doran handed them back with a firm nod. "Tomorrow… we give it everything. No second chances."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The preparations were complete. The real test would begin at dawn, when they would march with Redwake and the Wind Chasers into the ruins, searching for the Obsidian Jewel.
For now, all they could do was sharpen their resolve, rest, and wait for the sun to rise on what promised to be one of their greatest challenges yet.