Now we needed a mage," I said as we returned to town. All four of us sat together in the same restaurant, quietly eating our meals. As we were halfway through, an oldman approached our table. He wore a weathered brown overcoat and leaned slightly on a cane held in his left hand.
"Are you all a guild?" he asked .We all looked him over from head to toe.
"We're not a guild yet, Kite replied calmly. "What do you want?" Silver asked bluntly.
"I need someone to retrieve a potion from Leonfield," the old man explained. "But I can't go myself—my daughter's wedding is currently happening so i cant go."
"So you want us to go to Leonfield and retrieve the potion for you?" I asked, eyebrow raised. "Yes, that's right."
"How much are you paying?" Athena chimed in."One gold coin," he replied.
"Two gold coins and fifty silver," Athena shot back. "One gold and fifty silver ."he said. After some back and forth, Athena won the negotiation. The deal was sealed at her suggested price.
As Kite asked the man for every bit of useful information, Winter and Silver discussed the route. Meanwhile, I just sat there, doing nothing. Athena stared out the window, lost in thought.
Will I again live depending on others ? I wondered, sighing to herself.
"Athena," Winter called. "We need to leave now."
The others were already gathering their things. I sighed and followed them out.
"Why are we taking the mountain route?" I asked.
"It's the best way," Winter replied, walking ahead. " Leonfield is shrouded in mist and forest. we have to get a view from above so that we won't get lost on the way down."
I suggested using wind magic to climb the mountain faster. Everyone agreed. It worked. An hour later, we stood at the summit, looking over the valley. A few scattered houses dotted the peak.
We stood watching the sunset. The golden rays hit Silver's face, and for a moment, his red eyes turned gold. I pointed it out. "It happens sometimes," he said simply, not knowing why.
As we were setting up camp, a man emerged from one of the houses and offered us shelter. Winter politely declined, saying we didn't want to bother anyone and preferred staying outside. The man nodded and went back inside.
Over dinner, I asked where everyone was from.
"Kite and I are from Emberbrook Village," Winter answered. "Silver doesn't know where he's from. "Why not?" me and Kite asked in unison.
Silver explained he couldn't remember his past and was on a journey to find a memory spell to recover it. That night, the boys shared one tent while I had another.
In the middle of the night, a sound woke me.as I rubbing my eye I saw a silhouette. I stepped out, but no one was there. On the ground were footprints circling my tent. I started to follow them, but before I could wake the others, dizziness hit me.
"Not again," I murmured, trying to stay awake. I collapsed, the last thing I saw was someone's foot near me.
"Athena! Wake up, Athena! Sorry for what's about to happen!"I groggily opened my eyes, only to be splashed with cold water."What the—?!" I jolted up. Silver, Winter, and Kite were standing around me.
"Why are you all in my tent?" I asked, blinking .Another splash of water hit my face.
"We're outside, idiot," Kite said. "We found you sleeping here."
I looked around. We were indeed outside. Then I remembered last night. I told them what had happened. Winter raised an eyebrow. "And what about the egg you're holding?"
I looked down. Sure enough, I was holding a large, warm egg. Startled, I threw it—but Silver caught it ."It's probably a beast egg," he said calmly. "How the hell did it end up in my hands?!" I asked, standing up in disbelief.
"Why do I have to carry it?" I groaned."Because it chose you," Winter replied.
We continued down the mountain trail. Rain clouds gathered above. Ahead, we finally saw the kingdom of Leonfield ,sorrounded by walls with a palace in the center and the walls sorrounded by forest and mist .
Kite unfolded the map and pointed at a path—no mist, just forest."We stick together," he instructed. "The forest is full of dead souls and owls. If you're alone, you're dead. Got it? "Everyone nodded.
We jumped off from the cliff and used wind spells to slow our fall. We landed gently and entered the forest, keeping close.Inside, silence was thick. We kept watch for owls or spirits, but saw none. After 2 hour, we reached Leonfield's bridge.
Suddenly, screams echoed through the trees.Two injured kids came running, chased by a massive owl. I raised my hands to cast a spell, but before I could, Winter, Kite, and Silver leaped into action. They took down the beast in seconds.
I rushed to the kids and began healing them.
"My sister is still in there," one of them sobbed. I hesitated. Helping meant risking our lives. One owl required atleast three A-rankers to defeat. and going in a forest filled with it ?
"I'm going," Winter said firmly. "You'll get yourself killed," Kite snapped.
"Silver, take Kite and Athena inside. Don't let them follow me." Silver stared at him. "If you're not back in an hour, I'm coming after you," he said, handing him his pocket watch.
Winter nodded, took the watch, and vanished. "Let's go," Silver said.
I carried the kids. Kite was fuming, arguing with Silver.
This guy Winter... he's definitely interesting but how did he suddenly vanished , I thought.
We reached Leonfield's gates. Guards greeted us and took our names for registration. Inside, the town was vibrant with decorations—lanterns of all shapes, stalls being set up, and fireworks being readied.
We reached a modest house and knocked. An old man opened the door. Kite explained the situation. We were invited in and served tea. "What's fesitival is today?" I asked.
"The king has declared this day a celebration of good fortune," the old man explained. "From now on, it's a yearly festival."
I glanced at the clock—11:10. Only twenty minutes left. Silver was already geared up. Kite was snoring on the bed with the kids beside him. Me and Silver sat in silence, eyes on the clock. When it hit 11:30, we both stood.
A knock sounded.
The old man opened the door and spoke with someone urgently.
Curious, I stepped over to see.
It was Winter. , but in his arms he carried a girl.
He smiled faintly. "Just made it in time."
I smiled too, without even realizing it. For some reason, I finally felt... relaxed.