Chapter 13: The Mural and Ruins

The four priestess guards the four corner points of the world; south, north, west, and east. Each of the priestesses are assigned two bodyguards devoted to protecting them until the end of their lives. The priestess of the west is the strongest of them, the priestess of the east is the smartest, priestess of the south is the bravest, and the priestess of the north is the kindest. The priestess's personality ties deeply to their abilities granted to them. As the strongest, the priestess of the north…

Luna got to the last page of the paper, but everything was smudged. It seems like the last person who read this spilled water on it. All of the remaining words were unreadable. Luna put the paper against the light and even tried to rewrite what she could make out to understand the rest of the paragraph, but it was useless.

<I can't read the rest…>

Luna glances at the paper that had the site written down. She pondered if she should go there to find out more about these priestesses and the bodyguards that resembled Gear and Wei. Luna has no idea if that place where the researcher gathered information from really exists. There's also no telling if that place is even safe.

<But I can't go there…>

Right now, Luna and Gear needed to keep a low profile. Heading to a place with so many unknown factors while risking their lives isn't worth it. However, the curiosity of the research paper was bothering her deeply. So much so, Luna didn't realize Gear was in front of her waving his hand.

"What are you thinking about so deeply, you didn't even see me?" Gear asked with concern.

Whenever Luna was lost in thoughts like this, it was usually when she demeaned herself. Luna was more compatible then she believes, and he wished she could see that herself. Luna could tell what he was thinking, and smiled at him. She reassured him that she was just thinking about the part time job. It made her learn a lot and she was just having trouble trying to remember everything. Gear noticed the paper behind her. Luna unconsciously hid the paper out of Gear's sight with a small smile.

<Why did I hide it from him? I could have just asked him if we can go there…>

Although it was only a glance, Gear was able to read the location on the paper.

<Does she want to go somewhere?>

"Luna."

Luna jolts at him calling out to her, "Y-yes?"

"If there's somewhere you wish to go, you can. Since we're laying low for the time being, it's alright to look around as long as you don't bring attention to yourself."

"...Really?" Luna thought Gear wouldn't let her go.

She knew and seen too much. Even if he had picked her up all those years ago, her origin was still unknown to him. Luna hasn't told him everything about herself. Sometimes she questions him why he puts so much trust in her when there was a chance she could just leave him and take all she knew to his enemies. As though reading her mind, Gear just ruffles her hair with a smile and leaves. Luna covers up her red face. Gear's always unfair like that. Knowing what she was thinking and what her concerns were about. Instead of prying it out of her, he only gives her his full trust.

However, could she do the same for him?

Luna removes her hand from her face as that thought crosses her mind. She looks back at the paper then at the direction Gear left. Luna runs after him. When he was in sight, Luna grabs his shirt, stopping him from going any further.

"...?" Gears turn around, "Luna?"

Out of breath from running so hard, Luna took in a deep breath. She looks at Gear straight in the eye, "There's a place I want to go see, and I want us to go together."

The ruin stated on the paper may answer all of her questions she had. Questions that Gear couldn't answer her at the moment due to his memory loss, or other reasons he refuses to tell her. Since he can't tell, she'll find it out herself but not behind his back.

******

Elegantly drinking her wine, Galatine hums a song to herself while looking out of her balcony. A grape was fed to her by hand with its skin peeled off. Galatine eats the grapes and licks the finger of the young man who fed her. His face turns red from her seductive action. Galatine chuckles at him. She reaches out to give him a kiss, but stops when she sees someone heading towards her with an alarming expression. Galatine gets up from her relaxing time and opens out her hand. The young man puts her pink transparent rob on her. She walks towards the person with the alarming expression.

"What's causing our royal doctor to look so pale, Gale?" Galatine asked.

"Your majesty… The thing is…"

"Speak."

"L-lord Valor m-may not be able to make it this time…" said the doctor, "H-his pulse is getting weaker by the minute your majesty."

Galatine reaches out to her fan that was placed on the table. Her gaze was filled with a strange quiet coldness that sent shivers down the young man's spine when he saw her eyes.

"I see…" Galatine flaps her fan open and marches out of the room, "That's too bad."

******

Gear and Luna finished their part-time job and were given their last paycheck. The money they've gathered was enough to last them at least three month. They took this opportunity to head towards the ruin stated in the paper. Gear didn't ask her anything ever since Luna told him about what she had learned from the research paper. His face may have looked calm, but his demeanor told her a different story. She could tell he was agitated by what she had told him.

"This looks like the right place," said Luna out of breath.

They had hiked up a mountain and passed many rivers to reach this place. If Luna remembered correctly, the researcher named this place, Dawn of Genesis.

Like any old ruins, everything that met the eyes was filled with nothing but decay. Even the land itself looked like it was burned to cripst. If this place was discovered by the researcher, no one would even know it existed. Luna wondered who the researcher was, and why did that person go to such lengths to find this place. They walk into the ruin and look around.

As they journey deeper into the ruin, Luna finds the ruin mural that was photographed by the researcher. Instead of black and white, there were fading colors. Luna reaches out to the mural. She touches the carved image of the man holding the sword. Although the color was faded, the hair color was the same color as Gear. Hair as white and as soft as snow itself.

"Gear… This person in the mural… Is this you?" Luna asked.

He didn't answer her. He didn't need to answer her when she knew the answer. That day when she told him about the research paper, and how she asked if he was somewhat related to this, his face said it all. Luna gazed at the other carving. A man with a crow on his shoulder, and a woman surrounded by a bright light behind her. A single word representing the woman pops up in her mind. Priestess.

"Gear… This woman… Is she a priestess…?" Luna tried to squeeze out the remaining words out of her mouth, "Was she someone important to you… Is that why you're killing all of these princesses…? Gear…"

Luna turned around to see his expression. That was all she needed to confirm her answer, however, Gear wasn't there. He hasn't been there for a while now.

"Gear…?"

When they entered deeper into the ruin, Gear heard something calling to him. He followed the voice and went the opposite direction Luna went. There was a large hidden cave at the very far end of the ruin. Gear entered the cave and was surrounded by darkness. A fireball suddenly lights up the dark cave as though it was waiting for Gear. It trembles around him like a giggle before leading him deeper and deeper in.