The Frozen Ascension
As Shantotto gracefully floated through her secretive sanctum, Zeid, with determined strides, attempted to catch up. The sorceress, perceptive to the urgency in his steps, decided to indulge in a whimsical display of agility, opting to work her legs for a change.
Amidst the echo of Adachi's and Lion's steps trailing behind, Shantotto halted, allowing Zeid to draw near. She turned to him, a regretful glint in her eyes, and uttered words that hung in the air with an air of apology.
"Listen carefully, Zeid," she began, her words carrying the weight of hidden truths. "You're now one of the outcasts, and it's a fortunate thing you brought the kid with you. She won't be able to return, and I'd wager your house is being ransacked as we speak. I might always seem to have a plan, but leaving her friend to rot there wasn't an option, to me at least."
Zeid, perplexed, responded with a furrowed brow, "What do you mean? WHAT happened to the goblin!" he said that as he was thinking about Brayflox.
Before he could delve further, Adachi and the young girl caught up to them. Sensing the need for discretion, Shantotto gestured to Zeid, silently conveying that the discussion would have to wait for a more opportune moment.
Adachi, sensing the clandestine nature of the conversation between Shantotto and Zeid, decided it was time to introduce a little mystery of his own. With a sly smile, he reached into his bag, a familiar school bag he carried everywhere since the day Shantotto saved him, and pulled out a notebook along with a mechanical pen – a stark contrast to the fantastical realm around them.
Clicking the pen to extend its ink ball, Adachi started jotting down notes in his notebook, casually narrating his observations out loud. "Two mysterious adults engaged in a secretive talk," he mused, casting a sideways glance at Shantotto and Zeid. "Conversation halted as soon as the kids arrived. Making the knight feel awkward, I'd say."
Shantotto, her curiosity piqued, observed Adachi with a raised eyebrow. It was the first time she had revealed the contents of his bag to her, and she couldn't help but be intrigued by the mundane objects he wielded.
To her astonishment, Adachi held what looked like a feather but was, in fact, a mechanical pen. The grimoire he brandished was refined and clean, a stark contrast to the chaotic nature of magic in her world. The sorceress, on the verge of fainting, couldn't resist expressing her bewilderment.
In her theatric style, Shantotto exclaimed, "All you have to do is give me what you hold, and I'll reveal all!" Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Adachi, playing along, responded defiantly, "Who wants to know? Certainly not me." With that, he swiftly stashed his items back into his bag and sauntered away from the scene, leaving the sorceress intrigued.
As Shantotto floated behind Adachi, frustration breaking through her theatrics, she couldn't help but express her exasperation. To her discerning eyes, Adachi appeared as a different person, a transformation triggered by the arrival of the knight. She didn't shy away from vocalizing this observation as she followed the young boy.
Meanwhile, Lion, displaying her childlike energy, raced ahead, surpassing even Shantotto in her efforts to catch up with Adachi. Zeid, recognizing the opportunity to resume their interrupted conversation, extended his arm toward the sorceress, gesturing for her to slow down.
The sorceress, for once compliant, landed gracefully on her feet. With a twirl, she resumed her theatrical voice, "Now, where did I stop? Ah, yes. This sorceress holds the secrets of the kingdom known as San d'Oria. I served as the royal magi for over 200 years, although I still find myself in my thirties. The Tarutaru refined their arcana throughout my years of service. However, a certain event shattered the oath I had sworn, when a certain prince, harboring disdain for any race other than Hyur, painted a friend of ours as a traitor. That was 31 years ago."
As Shantotto continued her tale, Zeid felt a surge of anger coursing through him, a tempest that threatened to overwhelm his senses. Yet, he restrained himself, not daring to interrupt the sorceress for fear of losing the thread of the story once again. The prince she talked about in the events 31 years ago was King Traut after all; and he knew this.
She recounted how Brayflox, once considered close friend to previous king, became a pawn in Prince Traut's scheme to brand all races as lesser than his own. She said "The prince, driven by a desire to seize the crown, orchestrated an excavation mission with Brayflox. In the depths of Gusgen Mines, the prince sought to summon Shiva, he broke the party and leaving the knights to disrupt the mines' shell on the mountain."
Her facials changed, as she looked more angry
"Him and Brayflox went to excavate the lower parts of the cave, as it was known to be safe" her expression went back to her theatrics "She had a blind trust in the royales"
She began to cast an illusion magic to share her memories with Zeid. As the magical energies swirled around them, she recited a haunting poem that told the tale of a little magi commanded to bring the royal prince and his party, unaware of the impending danger.
"In the realm of shadows, a magi small,
A duty bestowed, heeding the royal call.
To the prince and his party, danger unseen,
Little magi embarked, with loyalty keen.
Through corridors dark, where secrets dwell,
A tale unfolds, where betrayal would swell.
The prince, once revered, his trust misplaced,
Stabs a comrade true, in a treacherous haste.
Into a pit, with wolves hungry and wild,
The friend is thrown, a fate reviled.
Witnessed by the magi, her eyes wide,
A scene of betrayal, in shadows, they hide.
The spellbound echoes, a haunting tune,
Ra Na Gen Megid Doran Reso Fanbi Shu."
Illusions unfold, memories laid bare,
The sorceress's past, a tragic affair.
The words painted a vivid picture of the sorceress's journey, guided by a sense of duty and loyalty. The illusion unfolded as she reached the prince, witnessing the shocking betrayal with her own eyes. The prince, once trusted and revered, stabbed her friend and callously cast her into a pit teeming with wolves, sealing her fate.
The poem reached its climax as Shantotto chanted the spell, "Ra Na Gen Megid Doran Reso Fanbi Shu." The incantation resonated dark power, and the illusion manifested, revealing the tragic scene. The sorceress's memories played out like a sorrowful tapestry, etching the betrayal and cruelty into the fabric of their shared consciousness.
Zeid, gripped by the gravity, as bore witness to the events that had transpired 31 years ago. The illusions painted a stark reality, he was one of the knights on the site, at the time of the events.
Shantotto's words dripped with disdain as she revealed the prince's ruthless betrayal. "With no prior knowledge of summoning magic, he stabbed the poor goblin in her back and threw her into a hole with a wolf, intending to let her be devoured alive."
"I reckon he wanted his Shiva, but a Shiva he did not get, it was a cold Wolyo Fenrir, trying to find his soulless mistress"
Zeid looking at Shantottos casted magic, that showed him her memories, witnessed the stabbing and the wolf, consequently observing the wolf metamorphosing into Fenrir, driven to protect his new Shiva "bRAYFLOX! Brayflox is the new Shiva!?."