31st Fragment: -VORTEX-
Sam awoke with a jolt and nearly smashed his forehead into Rupert's nose. He panted heavily; his heart pounded heavily against his chest. Furthermore, his hands were shaking uncontrollably, presumably from the adrenaline.
"Bro, are you alright? You blacked out again," asked the elder Nightingale with a frown.
"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," said Sam, still disoriented from his prior dream. After getting up to his feet, Sam noticed that the two women were nowhere to be seen and that there was a Rift Gate near the Crystal of Birth's debris. "Where is Lucy and Elisabeth?"
“While you were taking your beauty sleep, the girls have already headed outside. Said something about recovering some equipment that was buried during the sandstorm. Oh, there’s one more thing,” Rupert paused as he searched for something inside his jacket. Seconds later, he pulled out a small transparent bottle with a golden screw top lid and handed it to the vermillion-eyed man.
“Uh, what am I supposed to do with this?” asked Sam, staring at the bottle confusingly.
“Liz ordered me to put some of the crystal fragments into that.”
“And why didn’t you do it, if I may ask?”
“Okay, okay. Listen, alright,” Rupert quickly cleared his throat. “I intend to, BUT I didn’t want to make you feel left out. My sister and Liz went out to get their tools, while I’m here to make sure the area is clear from any threats – which means you’re the only one without a job.”
Sam grimaced at his friend’s reasoning, leading him to respond, “Well, thank you for your thoughtfulness, Rupe but it’ll be much simpler if you just said you were too lazy to do it.”
“Me? Lazy? Oh, you seriously wounded me,” Rupert playfully replied. “I really, really want to do it but as you can see, I’m a bit…injured.”
“Fine, but you owe me for this,” Sam grumbled as soon as he saw his friend’s bandaged leg. He walked toward the mound of crystal shards and began uncapping the bottle. Hunching over, Sam scooped some of the clear fragments until an arm shot out from between the glinting pile.
“Holy shit!” Sam cried out as he nearly dropped the bottle in his hand. He proceeded to take a closer look and realized it was Silva’s left arm sticking out of the heap like a gravestone. “Hopefully your beloved goddess is merciful toward you.”
“Dude, is that…is that an arm?” Rupert exclaimed; both of his eyes lit up at the peculiar sight.
“Yes. Yes, it is. Here, catch,” said Sam before tossing the bottle to the male Nightingale. “Keep that safe. If you broke it, you’ll be the one who’ll recollect it.”
GRRRRRRR!
Sam fidgeted after the ground beneath him started to tremble. At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him or that his body was still under the influence of sleep inertia. But, his assumption was proven false as soon he saw his friend nervously looking down at the floor.
"Dude, what was that? It's like a minor earthquake or something," Rupert commented.
"No, it's not a minor earthquake. It was something else. Something big. And dangerous," Sam retorted. "We need to go right now."
"Wait, why? Is it trouble?"
"Yes. A really HUGE one. Now, come on!"
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[Desert of Ashes]
After finishing their excavation, Lucy and Elisabeth gazed at the unearthed equipment, or at least, what was left of them. Most of the tools were beyond salvageable – much to Elisabeth's dismay. However, both women soon noticed that the damages were not solely caused by the sandstorm.
"Damn Disciples," Elisabeth lambasted. “Still being a pain in the ass, even in death.”
"Don't give up just yet, Liz. There might still be some stuff we can take home," Lucy calmly encouraged her friend.
Shortly after, the duo crouched down to the ground, and together, they began isolating the sand-covered instruments.
"Did you notice? The hooded figures we saw with Silva?" said Lucy, trying to break the awkward silence.
"I did. Whoever those people were, they seemed to have abilities like us," replied Elisabeth as the image of Silva merged with the crystal popped into her mind. "On second thought, it's somewhat similar to Noah's."
"Noah? Noah Wyvern of the Tarantula Hawk? Your Captain?"
Elisabeth held her chin and briefly pondered to herself. She recalled hearing something about an individual whose power was akin to her Captain. "There was someone who could do that, but the last I heard, he was dead.”
“Who was he?”
“Like Noah, he was a Librarian – a prominent one, if I’m not mistaken. The story was he discovered an underground cache filled with books from ancient civilizations. The Librarian read through one book and immediately went mad as if he was possessed by a demon. Because of that, the Librarians had to put the man down and confiscated all the books - storing them in a secret location only known to the upper echelon of the Keepers.”
“That sounds ominous…and a bit far-fetched, in my opinion. Are you sure it’s not just a tale made-up by the Keepers to deter people from reading the book of the Old Era?”
“It might be. Then again, I’m not a Librarian so I don’t know much about what the Keepers’ intentions are,” Elisabeth sighed as she dusted off the sand from a green-handled trowel. “You and Edelweiss…how long have you been together?”
“W-What!?” Lucy blurted out; her face flushed from Elisabeth’s sudden question. “We’re not together! We’re just friends! That’s all!”
“Oh? If that’s the case, then why are you getting so flustered?” Elisabeth casually remarked.
“I’m not flustered! I was just…astonished that you even said that!”
“So, he’s not your type, then?”
“Well…I’m…he’s…STOP IT!” Lucy exclaimed, causing Elisabeth to let out a chuckle.
“Relax, Lucy. It’s just between me and you, alright? I won’t tell anyone about this – I promise.”
“For crying out loud, there is nothing between us, okay? I’m…hold on, are those…?”
However, their conversation was cut short when they saw Sam and Rupert running toward them, frantically waving their arms over their heads.
"What is it now?" Elisabeth grumbled before the area behind the two men exploded, creating a billow of dust that loomed over the desert. Then, the sands whirled around like waves, their colors cycled from raven-black to glittering gold.
"What did you guys do!?" exclaimed Lucy as her brother was within earshot.
"No time to explain! We need to go! Now!" Rupert said in response, gritting his teeth as both of his feet throbbed painfully.
But, before the Four Accursed could react, they heard a deep, bloodcurdling howl reverberating throughout the sea of dunes, followed by a powerful earthquake.
It was for a fleeting moment, but the group saw a pair of giant pincers burst out of the ground before retreating back into the raging sands.
"Yup, that's the Antlion, alright," Sam spouted, slightly annoyed that his hunches were proven correct.
The ground beneath the group's feet soon shifted -- turning into a slippery slope that made them struggle to stay upright. They quickly buried their hands into the sand, but it did little in stopping them from sliding down the newly-formed craters. To make matters worse for them, a swirl of black sand awaited them at the bottom of the arid bowl - within it, the gaping jaw of the Antlion.
"Hey, Luce!" Rupert called out, "Remember that game we used to play in the backyard?"
"What game-? Oh, you've got to be kidding me! You want to do that now?!"
"Of course. It's now or never, right?" said the elder Nightingale, smiling confidently at his distressed younger sibling. Then, the exuberant man dashed ahead, trotting and rolling down the steep hill without a care in the world.
"Whatever it is you two are planning, better make it fast!" Sam shouted, realizing they were getting closer and closer to the expanding vortex.
"Oh boy, my head is really gonna hurt tomorrow," Lucy sighed, gritting her teeth. She thrust her right hand towards Rupert, and a column of warm water burst out from below her brother's feet -- launching him into the sky.
The elder Nightingale laughed heartily as he drifted over the whirlpool. "Now, we're talking!" he cried out joyfully. Seconds later, the man drew his sickles and swung them down, blasting a gust of scorching air into the center of the eddy. An ear-splitting screech was heard soon after, followed by the whirlpool slowly dying down.
"Hah, take that, you-oh, wait! OH, SHIT!" were the only words Rupert uttered before he plummeted to the ground below.
**qs******************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[Somewhere in the Krio Continent]
The blizzard finally set in, burying the northern land in freezing, white snow. Amid the violent storm, a lone shadowy figure traversed the merciless weather with a single purpose in mind.
He could feel exhaustion creeping in, hindering his movement through the tempest. But then, he saw it – a cave at the base of the mountain. With a grunt, he sprinted toward the opening until he could no longer feel the snow biting through his clothes.
The man removed the goggle from his face; his electric blue eyes glowed dimly, piercing through the darkness. It had been nearly three years since he last set foot inside the icy cavern, and he had hoped to stay away for a much longer period.
Unfortunately, he didn't have that kind of choice.
A nearby settlement was ravaged by a plague - Cold Spots, as the locals called it. It began with a simple fever and later developed into severe rashes. But what happened beneath the skins was worst. Blood cells turned into ice crystals which then tore the victims' organs apart, leading to their deaths.
"I should have drunk some of that soup before coming here," the man exhaled before he strolled deeper into the cave, passing through walls of ice until he encountered a small opening sealed with a steel grid.
"Adam Salvia," an androgynous voice shot out from beyond the grille, "Now, this is a pleasant surprise."
"Fenrir," Adam said clearly. Although the man in the parka couldn't see the dungeon's interior, he could still feel the imposing presence of its prisoner. Therefore, he had to choose his words carefully.
“You look terrible. Bad weather, I assume?”
Adam remained quiet, prompting the voice to snicker at him.
“Come on now. No need to be so uptight. I’m just trying to lighten up the mood.”
“Lighten up the mood? Sure, if that’s what you called it,” Adam scoffed.
"So, have the Order decided that I am finally to be free from this infernal prison?"
"Don't press your luck."
"Aw, one could only hope. Seriously though, why are you here?"
"Why, you asked? You know damn well why I’m here," Adam sternly replied. He started to pace back and forth in front of the cell door, organizing the words he wanted to say in his head. Then, he heard the Fenrir chuckle, followed by the irritating sound of grating metal.
"Cold Spots, is it? Now, that's a name I haven't uttered for a very long time. However, your journey through the blizzard proved to be a fruitless one, I’m afraid," the Fenrir yawned aloud before continuing, "You suspect me to be behind the re-emergence of the deadly disease, don’t you? But as you can see, I am still inside this insipid enclosure – locked up like an animal. So, it is highly unlikely that I am involved in those unfortunate incidents.”
"You expect me to believe that?"
"No, I expect you to be more vigilant from now on," the Fenrir snarled at Adam, causing the latter to fidget. "The world is changing, boy, and you know it. Sooner or later, I will come for you and the people of the Wintry Valley. I will erase every remaining trace of the Diamond Wolf's descendants, just as I vowed to your forefathers."
"Is that so?" Adam responded," Then, I'll be there to stop you. That...is my vow to you."
A pair of round garnet eyes materialized from the darkness, glowering at the man. “Would you kindly send my regards to the villagers,” the voice coldly replied. “Tell them, I missed their lovely screams.”
31st Fragment: -VORTEX-
Sam awoke with a jolt and nearly smashed his forehead into Rupert's nose. He panted heavily; his heart pounded heavily against his chest. Furthermore, his hands were shaking uncontrollably, presumably from the adrenaline.
"Bro, are you alright? You blacked out again," asked the elder Nightingale with a frown.
"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," said Sam, still disoriented from his prior dream. After getting up to his feet, Sam noticed that the two women were nowhere to be seen and that there was a Rift Gate near the Crystal of Birth's debris. "Where is Lucy and Elisabeth?"
“While you were taking your beauty sleep, the girls have already headed outside. Said something about recovering some equipment that was buried during the sandstorm. Oh, there’s one more thing,” Rupert paused as he searched for something inside his jacket. Seconds later, he pulled out a small transparent bottle with a golden screw top lid and handed it to the vermillion-eyed man.
“Uh, what am I supposed to do with this?” asked Sam, staring at the bottle confusingly.
“Liz ordered me to put some of the crystal fragments into that.”
“And why didn’t you do it, if I may ask?”
“Okay, okay. Listen, alright,” Rupert quickly cleared his throat. “I intend to, BUT I didn’t want to make you feel left out. My sister and Liz went out to get their tools, while I’m here to make sure the area is clear from any threats – which means you’re the only one without a job.”
Sam grimaced at his friend’s reasoning, leading him to respond, “Well, thank you for your thoughtfulness, Rupe but it’ll be much simpler if you just said you were too lazy to do it.”
“Me? Lazy? Oh, you seriously wounded me,” Rupert playfully replied. “I really, really want to do it but as you can see, I’m a bit…injured.”
“Fine, but you owe me for this,” Sam grumbled as soon as he saw his friend’s bandaged leg. He walked toward the mound of crystal shards and began uncapping the bottle. Hunching over, Sam scooped some of the clear fragments until an arm shot out from between the glinting pile.
“Holy shit!” Sam cried out as he nearly dropped the bottle in his hand. He proceeded to take a closer look and realized it was Silva’s left arm sticking out of the heap like a gravestone. “Hopefully your beloved goddess is merciful toward you.”
“Dude, is that…is that an arm?” Rupert exclaimed; both of his eyes lit up at the peculiar sight.
“Yes. Yes, it is. Here, catch,” said Sam before tossing the bottle to the male Nightingale. “Keep that safe. If you broke it, you’ll be the one who’ll recollect it.”
GRRRRRRR!
Sam fidgeted after the ground beneath him started to tremble. At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him or that his body was still under the influence of sleep inertia. But, his assumption was proven false as soon he saw his friend nervously looking down at the floor.
"Dude, what was that? It's like a minor earthquake or something," Rupert commented.
"No, it's not a minor earthquake. It was something else. Something big. And dangerous," Sam retorted. "We need to go right now."
"Wait, why? Is it trouble?"
"Yes. A really HUGE one. Now, come on!"
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[Desert of Ashes]
After finishing their excavation, Lucy and Elisabeth gazed at the unearthed equipment, or at least, what was left of them. Most of the tools were beyond salvageable – much to Elisabeth's dismay. However, both women soon noticed that the damages were not solely caused by the sandstorm.
"Damn Disciples," Elisabeth lambasted. “Still being a pain in the ass, even in death.”
"Don't give up just yet, Liz. There might still be some stuff we can take home," Lucy calmly encouraged her friend.
Shortly after, the duo crouched down to the ground, and together, they began isolating the sand-covered instruments.
"Did you notice? The hooded figures we saw with Silva?" said Lucy, trying to break the awkward silence.
"I did. Whoever those people were, they seemed to have abilities like us," replied Elisabeth as the image of Silva merged with the crystal popped into her mind. "On second thought, it's somewhat similar to Noah's."
"Noah? Noah Wyvern of the Tarantula Hawk? Your Captain?"
Elisabeth held her chin and briefly pondered to herself. She recalled hearing something about an individual whose power was akin to her Captain. "There was someone who could do that, but the last I heard, he was dead.”
“Who was he?”
“Like Noah, he was a Librarian – a prominent one, if I’m not mistaken. The story was he discovered an underground cache filled with books from ancient civilizations. The Librarian read through one book and immediately went mad as if he was possessed by a demon. Because of that, the Librarians had to put the man down and confiscated all the books - storing them in a secret location only known to the upper echelon of the Keepers.”
“That sounds ominous…and a bit far-fetched, in my opinion. Are you sure it’s not just a tale made-up by the Keepers to deter people from reading the book of the Old Era?”
“It might be. Then again, I’m not a Librarian so I don’t know much about what the Keepers’ intentions are,” Elisabeth sighed as she dusted off the sand from a green-handled trowel. “You and Edelweiss…how long have you been together?”
“W-What!?” Lucy blurted out; her face flushed from Elisabeth’s sudden question. “We’re not together! We’re just friends! That’s all!”
“Oh? If that’s the case, then why are you getting so flustered?” Elisabeth casually remarked.
“I’m not flustered! I was just…astonished that you even said that!”
“So, he’s not your type, then?”
“Well…I’m…he’s…STOP IT!” Lucy exclaimed, causing Elisabeth to let out a chuckle.
“Relax, Lucy. It’s just between me and you, alright? I won’t tell anyone about this – I promise.”
“For crying out loud, there is nothing between us, okay? I’m…hold on, are those…?”
However, their conversation was cut short when they saw Sam and Rupert running toward them, frantically waving their arms over their heads.
"What is it now?" Elisabeth grumbled before the area behind the two men exploded, creating a billow of dust that loomed over the desert. Then, the sands whirled around like waves, their colors cycled from raven-black to glittering gold.
"What did you guys do!?" exclaimed Lucy as her brother was within earshot.
"No time to explain! We need to go! Now!" Rupert said in response, gritting his teeth as both of his feet throbbed painfully.
But, before the Four Accursed could react, they heard a deep, bloodcurdling howl reverberating throughout the sea of dunes, followed by a powerful earthquake.
It was for a fleeting moment, but the group saw a pair of giant pincers burst out of the ground before retreating back into the raging sands.
"Yup, that's the Antlion, alright," Sam spouted, slightly annoyed that his hunches were proven correct.
The ground beneath the group's feet soon shifted -- turning into a slippery slope that made them struggle to stay upright. They quickly buried their hands into the sand, but it did little in stopping them from sliding down the newly-formed craters. To make matters worse for them, a swirl of black sand awaited them at the bottom of the arid bowl - within it, the gaping jaw of the Antlion.
"Hey, Luce!" Rupert called out, "Remember that game we used to play in the backyard?"
"What game-? Oh, you've got to be kidding me! You want to do that now?!"
"Of course. It's now or never, right?" said the elder Nightingale, smiling confidently at his distressed younger sibling. Then, the exuberant man dashed ahead, trotting and rolling down the steep hill without a care in the world.
"Whatever it is you two are planning, better make it fast!" Sam shouted, realizing they were getting closer and closer to the expanding vortex.
"Oh boy, my head is really gonna hurt tomorrow," Lucy sighed, gritting her teeth. She thrust her right hand towards Rupert, and a column of warm water burst out from below her brother's feet -- launching him into the sky.
The elder Nightingale laughed heartily as he drifted over the whirlpool. "Now, we're talking!" he cried out joyfully. Seconds later, the man drew his sickles and swung them down, blasting a gust of scorching air into the center of the eddy. An ear-splitting screech was heard soon after, followed by the whirlpool slowly dying down.
"Hah, take that, you-oh, wait! OH, SHIT!" were the only words Rupert uttered before he plummeted to the ground below.
**qs******************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[Somewhere in the Krio Continent]
The blizzard finally set in, burying the northern land in freezing, white snow. Amid the violent storm, a lone shadowy figure traversed the merciless weather with a single purpose in mind.
He could feel exhaustion creeping in, hindering his movement through the tempest. But then, he saw it – a cave at the base of the mountain. With a grunt, he sprinted toward the opening until he could no longer feel the snow biting through his clothes.
The man removed the goggle from his face; his electric blue eyes glowed dimly, piercing through the darkness. It had been nearly three years since he last set foot inside the icy cavern, and he had hoped to stay away for a much longer period.
Unfortunately, he didn't have that kind of choice.
A nearby settlement was ravaged by a plague - Cold Spots, as the locals called it. It began with a simple fever and later developed into severe rashes. But what happened beneath the skins was worst. Blood cells turned into ice crystals which then tore the victims' organs apart, leading to their deaths.
"I should have drunk some of that soup before coming here," the man exhaled before he strolled deeper into the cave, passing through walls of ice until he encountered a small opening sealed with a steel grid.
"Adam Salvia," an androgynous voice shot out from beyond the grille, "Now, this is a pleasant surprise."
"Fenrir," Adam said clearly. Although the man in the parka couldn't see the dungeon's interior, he could still feel the imposing presence of its prisoner. Therefore, he had to choose his words carefully.
“You look terrible. Bad weather, I assume?”
Adam remained quiet, prompting the voice to snicker at him.
“Come on now. No need to be so uptight. I’m just trying to lighten up the mood.”
“Lighten up the mood? Sure, if that’s what you called it,” Adam scoffed.
"So, have the Order decided that I am finally to be free from this infernal prison?"
"Don't press your luck."
"Aw, one could only hope. Seriously though, why are you here?"
"Why, you asked? You know damn well why I’m here," Adam sternly replied. He started to pace back and forth in front of the cell door, organizing the words he wanted to say in his head. Then, he heard the Fenrir chuckle, followed by the irritating sound of grating metal.
"Cold Spots, is it? Now, that's a name I haven't uttered for a very long time. However, your journey through the blizzard proved to be a fruitless one, I’m afraid," the Fenrir yawned aloud before continuing, "You suspect me to be behind the re-emergence of the deadly disease, don’t you? But as you can see, I am still inside this insipid enclosure – locked up like an animal. So, it is highly unlikely that I am involved in those unfortunate incidents.”
"You expect me to believe that?"
"No, I expect you to be more vigilant from now on," the Fenrir snarled at Adam, causing the latter to fidget. "The world is changing, boy, and you know it. Sooner or later, I will come for you and the people of the Wintry Valley. I will erase every remaining trace of the Diamond Wolf's descendants, just as I vowed to your forefathers."
"Is that so?" Adam responded," Then, I'll be there to stop you. That...is my vow to you."
A pair of round garnet eyes materialized from the darkness, glowering at the man. “Would you kindly send my regards to the villagers,” the voice coldly replied. “Tell them, I missed their lovely screams.”
