Arc 1 - Ch 25: "Find Her"

CHAPTER 25 - "Find Her"

This web novel is a draft of the story. Please expect frequent changes and updates as I see fit. Enjoy! -Cloki

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-I couldn't believe it. All this time, all this effort. I went through hell and back, getting sliced open numerous times, injured over and over again, practically knocking on death's door twice, and the whole time, I was a shaman myself...the first thought that ran through my head was "could I have removed the curse myself?" . . . probably not, I'm not skilled enough yet...but still, the theory is still there...regardless, Azure is starting to wake up, and I need to inform her of my newfound ability, as we make our return to Formai.~

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Siegfried: "-- --sorry, what?"

Klaus: "You're a shaman, Siegfried. Either that or you possess a natural affinity for dark magic...something I've never seen before, as the dark arts are usually only able to be learned from underground sources...I've never seen anyone naturally gifted in its twisted ways."

-Siegfried came to his feet and brushed himself off. He was covered in mysterious black dust which was left behind from when he cast his Shambra spell. He was unaware of what it was, but it smelled awful. Klaus noticed this too and cast an air spell to dispel it from Siegfried's body.~

Klaus: "Whoa hang on Siegfried, you have dust all over you. It looks like some kind of Basalt or something... here, let me help."

Klaus: "Caeli!"

-A blast of cold air expelled itself from Klaus's hand and slapped Siegfried across the face. While it was an uncomfortable experience, it removed the dark dust from his clothes and skin. Who knows what it could be made of, or how harmful it could be to the body.~

~When the spell was finished, and the dust was cleaned, Siegfried began to spill his thoughts out to Klaus.~

Siegfried: "So, Klaus. You're saying that I could potentially be a shaman? I'm not entirely sure how shaman magic works... I know that Rigel was a shaman, as he set my curse on me. Do I have the ability to place curses on others too?"

Klaus: "Hmm... I suppose it's possible, but highly unrecommended..."

-Klaus closed his eyes and walked over to Siegfried. He rested his hands on his shoulders and opened his eyes. His expression changed, and he became more serious. He wanted Siegfried to listen to everything he had to say, and retain that information.~

Klaus: "I'm going to tell you something important Siegfried, it's for your own safety..."

Siegfried: "Go ahead, Klaus..."

Klaus: "Dark Magic is frowned upon in Provincia due to Hasher's Cult using it for malicious purposes. If you're going to use it, I'd recommend not when people are around to see it. They could mistake you for a dark mage and attack, and you could die..."

-Originally, only spirits were able to cast dark magic, and they used it as a defense mechanism against the elements. However, over time, people began to learn dark magic from the spirits and became known as the first shamans. Shamans are able to connect with dark spirits to use their dark magic. Although similar, it is not related in any way to spirit/pure magic.~

-Dark Magic was used as a main form of combat by Hasher and his cult, and he used it to start the war 200 years ago. Since then, practicing dark magic has been frowned upon by many different people throughout Provincia.~

Siegfried: "Well, if I'm only able to use dark magic as of right now, how should I go about learning the other forms of magic? I'm not naturally gifted in any of them, so it's going to be quite challenging to pick them up..."

Klaus: "You shouldn't worry too much, Siegfried. I'm sure Azure can teach you what she knows, and if it comes down to it, you could always find a professional magic teacher. Speaking of which, I have an idea for you, Siegfried-kun..."

Siegfried: "What's your idea, Klaus?"

Klaus: "Follow me, we're going to speak with my father..."

-Klaus nodded toward Siegfried, and Siegfried nodded back. The two of them began to walk back through the field of grass, toward the entrance to Oakheart. However, while walking, Siegfried felt a chill go down his spine.~

-He heard a voice from above... and assumed it was Camriel, however, it was unfamiliar... this was a different voice...it was mixed with random whispers that echoed throughout Siegfried's head...~

[???]: "..return..return...return..."

Siegfried: "huh? Return?"

-This mysterious voice from above was uttering the word "Return" over and over to Siegfried. Suddenly, Siegfried was instantly reminded of the words he heard in his nightmare a few days prior. Return, Time, Eternity, Wish... the same voice was now echoing in real life and seemed to be giving Siegfried instructions...~

Klaus: "You okay Siegfried? You look dazed!"

-Siegfried stopped in his tracks and stared at the ground. His vision began to blur, and he started to stumble around. Klaus ran over to him and grabbed him before he could hit the ground. He quickly retrieved a potion from a pouch he had on him and poured it down Siegfried's throat.~

-This was a red potion. It was labeled [HEALTH]. For some reason, Siegfried was losing HP, and FAST. Siegfried drank the potion, and choked on it a little, but eventually swallowed it all down. Why was he suddenly hearing voices, and why had his HP fallen so tremendously?~

Siegfried: "-ack. I think I'll be okay. Klaus, what happened?"

Klaus: "To me, it looks like your HP was low. I'm not quite sure what could have caused you to lose so much HP so drastically, however, this health potion should do the trick and fix you up. Here, let's go speak with my father. Be careful now, Siegfried."

Siegfried: "-cough, okay, Klaus. Let's go..."

-The two made their way into Oakheart, and Siegfried began to gradually recover. The voices dissipated, but Siegfried could still remember what they had said to him. What did they want him to return to, and why?~

-Before the party stepped into the weapons shop, they glanced to their left, and saw Azure, fully dressed, sitting on a bench outside the Oakheart Inn. When she glanced up and saw the two, she called out to them.~

Azure: "Oh! Seigi-kun! Klaus! Hang on a second!"

-Azure ran over to the party, she seemed to have returned to her cheerful self, and assumed an expression of delight as she approached Siegfried.~

Siegfried: "Oh, Azure-san! How was your nap? Did you get that extra sleep that you practically begged us for?"

Azure: "I--I DID NOT BEG...seigi-kun...but I did enjoy the extra sleep! I feel fully refreshed now! I believe my mana vat has fully replenished itself by now."

-Siegfried laughed, and assumed a neutral expression. Azure had slept for another hour since Klaus and Siegfried left the hotel. The time was approaching 4:30 PM, and Azure was now awake and ready to take the trip back to Formai with Siegfried~

Klaus: "Hello again, Azure-sama. I believe I haven't formally introduced myself to you yet. My name is Klaus Lamberdt, current leader of the Provincia League of Knights. It's a pleasure to meet you."

-Azure looked at Klaus, surprised at his elegance. She had never before met someone with such manners as Klaus, and she was impressed, to say the least. She turned toward him and spoke~

Azure: "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Klaus! What brings you to Oakheart?"

Klaus: "Ah, I believe I need to have a discussion with you, Azure-sama. You see, Jurgen is my father, and I initially came here after witnessing the great beam of light that was summoned to this town."

Klaus: "Furthermore, upon arriving, my father informed me of what had really transpired here. I was stunned. It appears that another one of "those people" had been summoned, and it was Siegfried."

Siegfried: "Yeah, Klaus is a really cool guy when you get to know him, Azure-san! He helped me realize what my purpose was in Provincia, and told me about my summoning and what his thoughts were on the matter."

Azure: "Ah, I see. I apologize for kicking you two out earlier. I was just really sleepy."

Klaus: "No worries, Azure-sama! While you were resting, Siegfried and I made some substantial progress outside regarding his magical capabilities. I have some news to inform you of."

Azure: "Oh really? What did you find out?"

-Klaus approached Azure. She had no idea of anything that had happened between Klaus and Siegfried. Klaus was going to break the news to her about Siegfried being a Shaman. It could end in two ways. One, she could be devastated, or two, relieved.~

Klaus: "Azure-sama...Siegfried's natural magical affinity..."

Azure: "yes??"

Klaus: "It's...--"

Azure: "-- --"

Klaus: "--dark magic. A shaman, Siegfried is a Shaman."

Azure: "...what."

-Azure's expression changed. She glanced at Siegfried, and her heart sank. Initially, she thought her original suspicions of him being a dark mage were true, considering he wore their colors initially. However, she knew that this was obviously not the case, as both Klaus and Jurgen had explained the truth to her.~

Azure: "Siegfried-kun... you can use dark magic?"

Siegfried: "It appears so, Azure-san. Klaus and I were over in the field outside of town attempting to figure out my magical affinity."

Siegfried: "None of the elements worked out for me, except dark magic..."

-Azure walked over to Siegfried, drew her wand, and placed it on his forehead. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and synchronized with Siegfried's body using a similar technique that Physalis used back in the Formai Inn. She wanted to check his mana vat.~

Azure: "Whoa, Siegfried. I'm sensing a LOT of dark energy inside of you. What the hell happened? When my father examined you, he said you had zero magical capabilities at all... do you think Rigel's curse could have manifested itself within you, and somehow given you the ability to cast dark magic..?"

Siegfried: "I'm not entirely sure, Azure-san. However, if I'm able to cast dark magic, then I think I have a pretty strong weapon in my arsenal already... I just need to learn the different kinds of dark magic spells, and I should be set for combat!"

Klaus: "I wouldn't get ahead of yourself, Siegfried. Remember, Hasher's cult specializes in dark magic. Fighting fire with fire isn't the best strategy. While dark magic is the 2nd most powerful kind of magic, I don't think it will have much effect against another dark mage, who's practically mastered the techniques..."

Siegfried: "Shoot, you're right Klaus. Well, powerful or not, I still think it would be useful for me to learn the other types of magic... Klaus said he had an idea, and we were going to go talk to his father. Want to come with us, Azure-san?"

-Azure started at Siegfried for a good 5 seconds, and then glanced at the ground. She put her hand on her forehead. Her expression looked like she had just seen the single most terrifying thing she had ever seen. It was as if she realized something life-changing, and at that moment, she spoke~

Azure: "Wait...I just realized something, Seigi-kun."

Siegfried: "What's up, Azure-san?"

Azure: "If you can perform dark magic, does that mean you could have just removed your curse from yourself all on your own...??"

-Klaus and Siegfried looked at each other, and their eyes widened. This was a very reasonable thought that Klaus hadn't even considered. If Siegfried knew the ways of the shaman from the beginning, he could have easily lifted his own curse!~

Siegfried: "-- --Azure-san, despite me being able to cast dark magic, I'm unsure if I would be skilled enough to work with curses. I hardly know any spells, so I doubt that I could do it. However, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't theoretically be able to place a curse onto someone else."

-Azure looked back up at Siegfried, and her eyes widened.~

-Siegfried smirked devilishly at Azure, and she smacked him across the face, leaving a red mark where her hand contacted his cheek. Siegfried spun around and fell face-first to the ground.~

Siegfried: "-ACK!" *boom*

Azure: "SEIGI-KUN, DON'T YOU GO MESSING AROUND WITH CURSES. It's an evil type of magic that should be forbidden in my opinion!"

-Siegfried lay on the ground, dazed, his eyes spinning. Azure was not only magically inclined, but physically strong, she practically knocked Siegfried over with a single slap!~

Siegfried: "-tch. Azure-san, I was kidding *cough* I won't curse you or anyone else."

-Azure picked Siegfried up off the ground and brushed him off. She then flicked him on the cheek and apologized.~

Azure: "Apologies, Seigi-kun. I just have a bad history with the dark mages... I don't want you to ever have to use that type of magic. Promise me you'll be safe, okay?"

Siegfried: "I promise, Azure-san. But, we still need to talk to Klaus's father. If you would, could you come with us?"

Azure: "Sure. I'll follow your lead."

-The trio made their way into the weapon shop. Jurgen was in the back, re-smithing metal to be used for new equipment. He notices the party's entrance and ceases his work temporarily. He walks out to the front of the shop and greets them.~

Jurgen: "Welcome back, you three! Say, Klaus, have you and Siegfried figured out his magical prowess yet?"

Klaus: "Yes, father. It appears that Siegfried is naturally gifted in the dark arts, and the use of Shaman Magic, which came as a surprise to me... it seems he will have to study the four elements on his own from scratch."

-Jurgen paused, and looked at Siegfried. Instead of being shocked like all of the others, Jurgen's expression changed to excitement.~

Jurgen: "Hah! That's some ability, Siegfried! I remember Hiroshi's first experience casting dark magic. He came into the shop one time to show me some, and accidentally smoked out the entire town!"

Siegfried: "Did he use Shambra?"

Jurgen: "Yep! Shambra is a basic dark spell that creates a cloud of black smoke, not as thick as the smoke produced by fire, but not as thin as air. Call it a fog if you will... what's interesting about Shambra is its potency. Regardless of the caster's ability, the spell will cast in the same way. It's always powerful..."

Siegfried: "I see, perhaps that's why the cloud I created in the field was so great, that's just the nature of the spell..."

Jurgen: "Indeed, if you cast Shambra, you might have noticed how powerful it was initially!"

Siegfried: "I did notice that. I also noticed black dust that was left on me after I cast the spell. What was that?"

Jurgen: "I'm not entirely sure. It remained after Hiroshi cast it too, I think it's just remnants of the smoke..."

Siegfried: "I see... interesting"

Jurgen: "Anyway, Klaus, what did you need to talk to me about?"

Klaus: "Well, you see father... Siegfried doesn't know any other spells and needs to learn magic desperately if he has any chance of defeating Hasher. Azure was going to teach him, but I thought of a better idea..."

-Suddenly, Azure inserted herself into the conversation. She was confused as to what Klaus had in mind, and assumed that it was her job to teach Siegfried magic in Formai.~

Azure: "Wait, Klaus? What do you mean, a better idea?"

Klaus: "Indeed, Azure-sama. This idea not only will let you teach Siegfried, but also learn magic yourself... I know a person who can teach both of you magic... Jurgen, I believe you know where I am going with this, right?"

Jurgen: "Ah yes... her. Azure-sama, I'm sure you'll recognize her name.. Go on Klaus."

Klaus: "You two need to find Ivy Okada... she was Hiroshi's wife until he, unfortunately, was killed..."

Siegfried: "...Hiroshi Okada..."

Klaus: "That's right, before they were married, Ivy was known as Ivy Couture. She was a skilled Nature Mage, and specialized in both natural and poison spells. She and Hiroshi ran a magic school, dating back around 13 years. On the side, Ivy ran a laboratory where she studied the development of new spells and potions. She's a famous chemist in Provincia now."

Klaus: "Although she shut down her school when Hiroshi passed a few months ago, I'm sure she'd be willing to teach the next iteration of "That Person"..."

Siegfried: "Ivy Okada... Jurgen, that name sounds familiar, I think you mentioned her to me earlier today."

Jurgen: "Indeed. Siegfried, remember when I informed you about the four people I had met who reminded me of you, and spoke about this goddess? Ivy is one of them. I have reason to believe that she and Hiroshi were summoned together... if you can convince her that you're someone like her, I'm sure she'd be willing to work with you and Azure-sama..."

Jurgen: "Hang on a second now, I'll be right back..."

-Jurgen retreated to the back room of the weapon shop~

Azure: "Hiroshi told me about Ivy a few years ago... He said that they ran a magic academy together. I was going to enroll but never did... I wonder how she's doing..."

Siegfried: "You know of Ivy? Great! If she remembers you, I'm sure she will have even more reason to trust us!"

Azure: "...perhaps, Seigi-kun."

Siegfried: "Anyway Klaus, do you know where Ivy is right now?"

Klaus: "Ivy's laboratory is in the province of Laeval. It's in a forest known as "The Deepwood". It's a heavily forested area near the back of the province. It's a long way away, you're going to have to sail across the ocean to get there."

-Siegfried's face went white. Hearing words such as "ocean" and "deepwood" frightened him, as he had no way of defending himself were the two to be attacked by monsters. Siegfried thought about the green-skinned giants that Koh had spoken of.~

Siegfried: "Laeval? Across the ocean?? How do you expect me to get there, and survive there if I don't know any spells besides Sphaera and Shambra?"

Klaus: "Ha ha! I never said she was IN Laeval. Her main laboratory is in Laeval, but she has satellite labs all across Provincia, all connected by teleporters that can be activated using a blink spell. It allows her to teleport herself across Provincia to her many labs."

Klaus: "If you can find one of her labs, you can ask the employees to contact her, and summon her to that lab. From there, you may speak with her."

Siegfried: "Klaus! Don't scare me like that..."

Klaus" "Apologies, Siegfried-sama!"

Siegfried: "Anyway, it blows my mind how someone can just warp themself hundreds of miles just like that... Azure-san. We need to find Ivy, and start learning magic from her. I'll inform her of my ability, and hopefully, we can gain her trust."

Azure: "Well, it sounds like our next adventure is about to begin, Seigi-kun. However, I think we should return to Formai to let my father know of what we did, and what we plan to do next. We also need to collect our quest reward!"

Siegfried: "You're right, Azure-san... let's pack our bags, and make our way to Formai..."

Klaus: "If you two are returning to Formai, let me write you an official account of your quest completion. Normally, you'd need physical evidence of your job, but considering you don't have Rigel's head, I'll need to write you a formal letter of reference."

Siegfried: "Is that all there is to it? Someone could easily forge one of those."

Klaus: "I'm enchanting it with my own magic. If Daichi sees this letter, he will know it's from me and will take it as fact. It will work. Here, take this."

-Klaus wrote a letter of reference for Siegfried and Azure's quest completion. Siegfried accepted the letter, and put it in his pocket. Then, Klaus spoke once more~

Klaus: "Remember Siegfried, find her... Find her, and she will help you out..."

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