Lion's Smile

The world seemed to slow down as Zeid prepared to leap towards Shantotto, fueled by a mix of anger and desperation.

However, before he could make his move, he heard the joyous laughter of his daughter. A perplexed expression replaced the anger on Zeid's face as he witnessed Lion unharmed, her laughter echoing through the cave.

Shantotto, with a mischievous glint in her eye, intervened, "Oh, please forgive me. I forgot to mention that Succor is a blood shield." This struck Zeid with a mix of relief and astonishment, realizing that what seemed like an offensive spell was, in fact, was Shantotto showing her shield off.

A wry smile played on Shantotto's lips as she continued, "It's always amusing to see the reactions. Now, let's get back to our little Adachis weapon, shall we?"

Zeid, still grappling with a mix of emotions ranging from anger to relief, directed a stern gaze at Shantotto. In a voice laced with a tinge of frustration, he expressed, "I'm trying to trust you here. Just don't pull such a thing again." The knight's words carried the weight of his concern for his daughter's safety, a sentiment that lingered beneath the surface of his carefully chosen words.

His stern words hung in the air, and Shantotto responded not with a simple nod but with a raised head-to-the-side laughter. Her mouth was hidden by the back of her left hand, assuming her iconic stance when acknowledging something important.

Adachi, always the voice of reason and eager to diffuse tension, decided to intervene. He casually approached Shantotto, wearing an indifferent expression, and said, "Alright, Shantotto, let's put the theatrics aside for now. How about that bow I asked for?"

His attempt to steer the conversation towards a more practical matter was met with a sideways glance from Shantotto, who, with a sly smile, oscillated between amusement and indulgence,

Responded, "Oh, lovely Farya, let's head to the armory. I believe I have just the right bow for you."

Her gaze then shifted towards Lion, and she continued, "And as for you, my dear, shall we let your father teach you the art of wielding a short sword or a dagger?" The sorceress, led the way, leaving Adachi and Zeid to follow her as she led the young girl with her.

From the armory, Shantotto pulled out a bow, roughly half the height of Adachi. Crafted from osage orange wood with a slender string. aAs she was handing him a quiver filled with feathered arrows, she couldn't resist a curious inquiry as if she demanded an exchange for the bow, asking Adachi, "What other wonders do you carry in that mysterious bag of yours?" Despite her prodding, Adachi simply took the bow and distanced himself, leaving the sorceress ignored.

Unimpressed by Adachi's nonchalant response, Shantotto decided to shift her attention. From the armory, she took out a stunning dagger, adorned with a radiant ruby. Presenting it to Lion with theatrical flair, she exclaimed in a voice intentionally loud enough for Adachi to overhear, "Behold, a dagger as exquisite as your fiery red hair, my dear!" The sorceress relished the moment, her sassy tone echoing through the cavern.

Shantotto wore a mischievous smirk on her face, relishing the anticipation of Adachi's reaction as she presented the ruby-laced dagger to Lion.

Adachi, playing along with Shantotto's theatrics, decided to indulge her curiosity. With a confident yet measured tone, he declared, "I'll do this only once—just once, mind you. So, don't ask me to repeat it." With that, he pulled out his phone from his bag. The device, previously powered off due to the lack of charging options in this unfamiliar realm, although he has a power bank on him, but he decided to conserve the limited amount of power he has left.

The trio gawked in astonishment as Adachi extracted a peculiar object from his bag. A metallic ingot, predominantly black, adorned with a glass surface and adorned with a few mysterious holes scattered here and there. The bewilderment in their eyes mirrored the enchanted confusion of encountering such an otherworldly artifact.

As soon as Adachi powered on his phone, the screen illuminated, prompting Shantotto to hastily assume, "Oh, it's a Pandora's box." Adachi retorted with a casual "Not really."

Then, he requested the trio to strike a pose for a few seconds and positioned the phone on a cave crevice, activating the camera. With everyone in place, Adachi directed them to smile, raising his hand to signal the device to capture the moment. The device initiated a countdown - 3, 2, 1 - followed by a cheerful click.

In the midst of collective confusion, Adachi retrieved the phone and displayed the captured image to everyone.

Lion, wide-eyed, exclaimed, "Am I trapped in the drawing?"

Shantotto, studying the image, pondered aloud, "Is this some form of memory magic?"

Meanwhile, Zeid, opting for directness, simply asked, "What is this?"

Adachi responded, "This is a picture. It's similar to a drawing but captures an exact likeness of the person it was taken of." Adachi then quickly turned off the phone to conserve its energy. Shantotto, eager to explore further, insisted, "Not yet, I need to know more."

Adachi firmly declined, stating, "I have to preserve the energy. If it runs out, I'll never be able to use it again." Just as Shantotto was about to offer more thoughts, Lion interrupted, asking, "Where does the picture go now?" Her question lingered as the phone's screen turned black.

Adachi replied, "It stays in the phone's library forever, or until I decide to destroy it. But if it runs out of energy, I can't use it again. That's why I'm closing it now."

Adachi clarified by physically shutting down the phone, aiming to make it easier for his companions to grasp, considering none of them were familiar with the concept of turning a phone off.

Shantotto inquired, "Does it only create artworks?"

Adachi chuckled, "Nope, it's not just an art machine. This thing is a grimoire. It's got a massive library, bigger than any place we've been so far in Eorzea. I can talk with people if they have their own phone even when they are not nearby, use it as a light, jot down info—it's like a super handy tool."

"And the best part? It never runs out of paper, unlike a regular book. Only hitch is, it's a bit of a diva when it comes to electricity, and, well, you know we're lacking in that department here." gesturing to the lack of the energy source on this universe.

As the party neared the exit of Shantotto's hideaway, she locked eyes with Zeid and posed a question, "Are you ready?"

Zeid cast a fleeting look back at her, his gaze then shifting to Lion. "I don't know what awaits us in the moments to come, but for now, let's go and put an end to the wolf," he stated.

Zeid turned his attention back to Shantotto, cautioning her, "Avoid mentioning the catalyst's name; she was Lion's dearest friend." Shantotto acknowledged his words with a solemn nod.

Adachi shot an annoyed glance at the duo and directed his frustration at Shantotto, questioning her, "It was the Gusgen Mines, wasn't it? How do we get there?" in protest of them having secretive conversations behind his back.

With a reflective awareness of the shift in Adachi's demeanor, Shantotto began chanting her spell, concluding it with "Il Zan Lanner Enkindel." Her majestic lanner appeared one more time, summoned for their transportation, as Shantotto resumed her floating stance next to the magnificent bird.

Shantotto shot Adachi a pointed look, as if to say, "Did that answer your question?" before turning away.