Chapter 3

"Hm?" Azuna hummed as he watched the unconscious adventurers begin to stir. "Vey. They are waking!"

"Finally," The mage groaned, finishing her fifth glass of mead. "I was actually starting to feel my alcohol."

"Who's got who?" Amrynn asked, examining the bunch. "I've got the elf."

"Half-orc," Azuna said, nodding at her.

"The dwarf will wake first," Vey said. "Then the human, lizardfolk, half-orc and lastly will be the elf."

"And when did you add 'fortune teller' to your powers?" Amrynn scoffed and tightened his arms across his chest.

Vey gave a grin, a slight chuckle and a shrug. "Never did, but just you wait, my fairy."

"Eck," Azuna gagged at the pet name.

"Oh hush," Vey grinned. "I can be mushy sometimes."

"Oh… woah… what's… what's going on?"

The dwarf, like Vey predicted, had awoken first. He rubbed his eyes gently, yawned and smacked his lips together as he scratched at his head. He mumbled a few choice words then squinted his eyes in order for them to adjust to the lighting, but it wasn't long before his eyes shot open, looking around like a mad man.

"Uh," The dwarf looked to the three senior adventurers with confusion. "Where… who… what?"

"When and why?" Amrynn chuckled along with Azuna.

Vey frowned at the two of them, gave a snarl and then turned her attention to the dwarf. "You've got some nerves pulling your axe out on a guard."

The dwarf huffed. "He shouldn't have been saying those words."

"Yes, but you should keep your temper at bay around these parts," Vey continued. "Glad I saved ya' before he could do anything." She nodded at the dwarf. "What's yer' name?"

"Why should I tell you first?" He snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "What are you three's names?"

Vey looked at the other two, giving them a silent message then turned back to the dwarf. "My name is Vey."

"Amrynn Adwaryn."

"Azuna."

"Tch, the name's Rildrek Bitterdelver," The dwarf said. "I'm this here group's fighter."

"And that group would be?" Amrynn asked, gesturing to the others.

"We are the Flames of Justice!" Rildrek exclaimed.

"Who?" Azuna asked.

"We?" Amrynn questioned.

"Er… well," Rildrek chuckled weakly, scratching the back of his head. "My partners and I… we call ourselves the Flames of Justice but we aren't… really well-known, uh, anywhere except for a few small towns back in the Kingdom of Solaria."

The human started to stir just then and Rildrek whipped his head around to stare at him as he fully awoke. The human's lips moved silently like in a silent prayer and after he was done, he kissed the back of his knuckles and reached them up to the ceiling. His eyes blinked open, adjusting to the lighting of the room then surveyed the area around him.

"Esun!" Rildrek yelled. "Esun! Are you okay?"

"…I think so," Esun mumbled, examining the senior adventurers. "Although, I do see three unknown faces about our group and I'm not sure if they are illusions of wonder from Acias or not."

"We real all right," Azuna said. "Name is Azuna."

"Common not your first language?" Esun cocked his head in question.

"No," Amrynn said. "I'm teaching him. My name is Amrynn Adwaryn."

"And I'm Vey," The mage announced. "Esun was it?"

The human nodded and sat up straight on the couch. "Yes. My name is Esun Korsk. I'm a cleric for Acias, God of Wonder and the main healer for the Flames of Justice."

"A little corny huh?" Amrynn said. "The Flames of Justice?"

"Amrynn!" Vey snapped, clenching her teeth. "Stop the teasing!"

"Only known in the Kingdom of Solaria?" Azuna ignored the two others. "What are you doing in Kingdom of Lunadonia?"

"Well… we are… well, were I guess… on a quest," Rildrek said.

"Hush, Rildrek!" Esun hissed. "We should wait until Eldred is awake."

Rildrek rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Alright, alright."

"Mmm, what time is it?" The Lizardfolk yawned with her eyes still tightly shut. "I hope it's time for breakfast. Utoca makes the best eggs and hash."

"You dumb Lizard! Wake up!" Esun yelled, smacking the chair that the Lizardfolk was on with his staff.

"Hey hey!" The Lizardfolk shrieked, eyes growing big and tail twitching. "What's the big idea?!"

Esun pointed his staff at Vey, Amrynn and Azuna and snarled. "That's the big idea!"

"Oh," She chirped and cocked her head to the side. "Who are you guys? I'm Shriax!"

"Azuna."

"Amrynn."

"Vey."

Shriax looked over Azuna with a keen eye, giggled to herself then winked. "Mhmmm, okay. Gotcha'!"

Azuna furrowed his brows and began to flare his nostrils. "What was that for?"

"Forget her," Esun said. "She's useful in battle but other than that, she's an odd one."

Shriax beared her teeth at Esun then cheered up immediately once she turned back to the three seniors. "I'm originally from Lunadonia, but I've never been to the capital."

"She's the most recent member of the Flames of Justice," Rildrek explained.

"Mhmm!" Shriax agreed. "I'm an alchemist from Chaxin!"

"That's a long way from the capital," Vey said. "And a quite secluded little town."

"Yeah," Shriax mumbled. "And it's a very poor town too. I'm looking for ways to update technology so we can export stuff that no one has ever seen!"

"We need more minds like yours," Vey told her.

"Utoca is waking up!" Esun exclaimed, poking at the Lizard. "Utoca! Are you okay?!"

"Shut up," Utoca growled and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her chain mail. "I don't want to hear your voice at the moment."

"Wait, how did we all get here and why were we all unconscious?" Rildrek asked.

"I think that's best left for when everyone wakes up," Vey said, poking a finger towards the still sleeping elf. "There's questions we would like answers to as well."

"We ain't tellin' you anything!" Esun snapped with a huff and a bang with his staff.

Vey cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "I am not afraid to teleport you all back to the guard house and watch you all die a horrible death. So, I think it'd be best if you answer my questions."

Esun gulped with a shiver and shrunk back into his seat. "Y-yes, ma'am."

"You're a wuss," Utoca laughed, but she also showed fear in her eyes.

The elf who was fast asleep suddenly jolted awake and leapt to his feet, angrily pointing at the half-orc. "Shut up, Utoca! You aren't any better!"

"Sleeping beauty is awake!" Shriax snorted.

Vey looked at her two long-time companions with a smile plastered on her lips. "You two owe me."

The elf directed his attention at the three seniors and his eyes grew big. "Amrynn?"

"That would be me," Amrynn nodded in confirmation. "How have you been, Eldred?"

Eldred bounded over the coffee table and Rildrek, grabbed Amrynn by the collar of his cloak and started to shake him wildly.

"You shouldn't have left, Amrynn! Dammit Amrynn! You shouldn't have left!"

"Eldred," Amrynn said in a serious tone. "You better knock it off."

Amrynn's words seem to go in one ear and out the other. Eldred continued to shake him viciously. His eyes were harsh and a look of intent to kill was in them. Amrynn frowned at his fellow elf and put his hand on one of Eldred's wrists. The hand started to glow slightly, then there was a yelp from Eldred and he immediately backed off.

Amrynn retracted hand that he had shifted into bird's talons. "You should listen to warnings if you are not prepared for the consequences of ignoring them."

"Damn you Amrynn," Eldred growled with tears in his eyes. He nodded to Vey and scowled. "Damn you, Vixen."

Azuna gave a gruff and flexed his hands in fists. "Watch it, elf."

"Stop," Vey ordered. "Please, let us sit at the table and have a discussion. There is much to be told and much to be asked." She nodded slowly at Eldred and picked a seat especially for him. "Let us eat, drink and discuss things like civilians."

Eldred was hesitant, but everyone else was attracted to Vey's charm and obeyed her commands. Eldred looked down at his wrist, then at his colleagues, and finally at Vey. Her eyes beckoned him to obey and eventually, with a sigh, he walked over to his seat and sat down.

"Amrynn has made venison stew for this special occasion," Vey stated as bowls were placed in front of everyone. Azuna took the liberty of pouring everyone some mead and water. "Please eat. There is more if you'd like."

Eldred stared into his bowl of stew and side-eyed Azuna as he poured the mead. "I know Amrynn and Vey, however I don't think I know you."

"Oh!" Vey interjected. "I'm sorry. Not everyone was introduced. I'm Vey."

"Amrynn."

"Azuna," He nodded at Eldred and poured him a glass of mead.

Rildrek was the first one to finish both his stew and mead and he was quick to get the discussion rolling soon after his stomach had settled. "So, we deserve answers first."

"Fair enough," Vey said, wiping her mouth with a striped piece of cloth. "Basically, I teleported you all here because that guard was about to kill all of you. You fell unconscious because I've spent many moons as an adventurer and my magic is able to ignore your willingness to participate in the spell. So, it was because of my spell that you were rendered unconscious for several hours."

"Several hours?" Esun wheezed and took a big gulp of his mead. "It feels like I've been out of it for years."

"That affect will fade after a night's rest," Vey told him. "I think that answers everything you want to know."

"Well, not everything," Shriax said. "But it's a start."

"Well, if you have anymore questions, they'll have to wait," Vey said. "We have our own questions and would like to get to them."

Eldred scowled at his stew that he had barely touched. "Figures that we can't ask any other questions until you've had your fill of answers."

Esun stood from the table and eyed Vey suspiciously. "What? Are you secretly part of the guard? Once you learn our secrets, you're going to kill us or something?"

Vey gave a bellowing laugh. "No, no! Nothing like that!"

"So, then what and why do you want to know things about us?" Utoca asked.

Vey gave a hum then went back to her charming tone of voice. "The reason why I was able to save you was because I followed you around the city and heard some talk of certain subjects that I would like to know more about."

Eldred gagged. "First, your magic is so powerful that it can render people unconscious and now we find out that you were following us and listening to our private conversations-."

"I don't think they're private conversations if you are speaking them in public spaces," Amrynn snapped at the younger elf who quickly shut his mouth.

"So, what exactly do ya' want to know?" Rildrek questioned.

Vey leaned on the table. Hands clasped together with her chin on top of her knuckles. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment in order to find the correct words and phrasing she wanted to use. Then, her eyes lids fluttered back open and with a serious gleam in them, she asked;

"Why do you want to know about the Blood Stained Diamonds?"