Briefing

Rina lead the group to the city gates where a large cart of fresh provisions and supplies awaited them.

"Take only what you need," she said slinging a brown bag over her shoulders as she walked out of the gate.

The 2 people who were guarding the cart gave Rina a low bow as she passed them.

Arjuna followed taking three bags of supplies while looking curiously at the emblem on the 2 people's uniforms and on the carts. It was two white crossed horns with a laurel of fresh leaves surrounding them.

Rei and Alanis followed each of them grabbing a sack of supplies and hurrying out of the gate.

Arjuna couldn't help but look up at the sky as he stepped out of the city gates. The blue sky high above his head, the occasional white cloud, and the dark grey ones far away nestled around the mountains. A cool fall breeze blew past them, leaving behind a trail of brown and yellow leaves.

The forest rustled and the undergrowth seemed to give off a welcoming atmosphere.

There Rina could be seen underneath one of the trees. Leaning against one with her arm, she beckoned towards the 3 with her other hand.

Arjuna, Alanis, and Rei rushed over to Rina, and with a satisfied nod, Rina walked further into the forest occasionally turning around to look at the huge city which loomed behind them.

Soon before any of them knew it, the city was long behind them leaving only a small speck of white through the dense trunks of the trees when they tried to turn around and look at it.

Rina continued walking still turning around occasionally to see if she could see the city.

Arjuna noticed that the path she took them on wasn't really a path. In fact, there were no signs of any trails or roads from what he had seen, they had just trodded into the forest following her directions.

Finally, with one last turn to make sure they were completely out of sight from the city of twilight, Rina turned around and let out a huge sigh.

"Alright!" she said eagerly waving her hand past her hair and ears.

Her brunette hair shimmered slightly and then slowly the color seemed to dissipate revealing long golden blond hair. The rounded ends of her ears disappeared and instead, pointed ones could be seen.

Rina turned to them with a smile as she remarked

"It gets so annoying to keep that illusion on all the time, thank goodness I have a chance to take it off."

Arjuna nodded, Alanis's eyes widened in surprise at seeing another one of her race standing in front of her and Rei stood flabbergasted at the sudden magical transformation.

Alanis raised her shaking hand as she pointed at Rina with a trembling finger.

"y-you you're an elf?"

Rina let out a light laugh and nodded

"Might as well show my true identity to the person who is going to have to swear to protect my race right?"

"Plus," she added looking at both Rei and Alanis

"nobody would believe you if you said that the guild master of the Ivoryhood merchant guild was an elf"

Arjuna looked at Rina with confusion.

"the guild master?"

Rina gave Arjuna a small wink before turning to Alanis and Rei.

"I'm sure you two, as this man's companions have a few questions, so I will first tell you about what we are going to do today."

Saying that she reached into her pouch and tossed out three brown parchments.

Each of the parchments accurately flew into their hands, Arjuna and Alanis easily caught it with one hand flipping it around to read it while Rei juggled it in the air for a few seconds before it fell to the floor almost mocking all of her attempts to catch it.

[new mission]

[defeat the necromancer]

[rank: A]

[description: a necromancer has been terrorizing the forest of twilight. His undead minions ransack the forest attacking innocent travelers and creating terror in the west part of the forest]

[rewards: 30 gold, +EXP, +affintiy with adventures guild, +3 magic core]

Arjuna read over it as Rina started to explain to the three of them.

"as you have read, there is a necromancer that is rampaging through the western part of the forest, thankfully the western part of the forest is one of the most underpopulated parts of it, with little roads and trails leading through it. But nevertheless, we must eliminate the source of the trouble, the undead that are generally raised are skeletons made of both human and animal bones. Undead with flesh is possible though it hasn't been seen so be careful."

Alanis set the parchment down looking at Rina with narrowed eyes.

"So why are we doing this?"

Rina smiled and answered

"a necromancer is a user of dark and demonic arts, it's one of the main reasons why the darkness element has such a bad reputation, and I want to show both you and our little human friend what the difference is"

"also" she added with a small laugh

"I urgently needed a change in pace from running around helping that idiotic fool we call the administrator of this town"

And so the group continued to travel through the forest. Arjuna watched his surroundings with interest, he had seen the forest many times, but the place they were traveling in just felt too quiet, no sound of travelers, of creatures on the rustle of the wind and the sound of their footsteps echoing through the forest.

The group quietly moved along, until finally, one person broke the silence

Rei looked up at Rina and asked quietly

"how do I see spirits?"

Rina smiled and answered in response

"how do you see the wind?"

Rei cocked her head in confusion

"you don't see the wind though?"

Rina nodded

"but you know the wind exists right? you can feel it, the gentle breeze, the leaves it picks up, though you may not see the wind itself you can see the actions it makes which then shows you the wind"

Saying that Rina raised her arm as a gentle stream of leaves flew from the ground whirling around her hand.

"most spirit mages actually can't see spirits, since it's a privilege only granted to elves, yet isn't it queer that some of the best spirit mages are those who can't see the spirits themselves?"

Rei listened completely enraptured with what Rina was saying, perhaps this was what she was missing. Alanis had spent all of her time trying to get Rei to see the spirits, perhaps it was just because Alanis didn't understand what it was like for a regular person, to try and see the unseeable.

Rina placed her hand gently on Rei's head

"do you believe that spirits exist?"

Rei looked at her, then at Arjuna and Alanis.

She nodded her head.

"good" Rina smiled "that is all a spirit mage needs, belief, belief that the wind blows, that the wind is there even though we can't see it, I can assure you young one, you are loved by the spirits, in fact, a few surround you right now"

Rei quickly looked around trying to figure out if she could catch a glimpse of them.

Rina smiled and laughed

"do not worry, they will show themselves if they want to, but for now, believe that they are there and you will be able to accomplish what any elf can do with their spirit eyes.

Rei nodded casting a quick glance at her white staff in her hand. Rina looked at the staff and then at Alanis. A small smirk in her eyes as the two looked at each other.

Rina moved closer to Alanis whispering quietly to her

"you want her to make a contract this early in her life? do you want to raise her into a spirit master?"

Alanis let out a giggle and whispered back.

"like what you said, she is loved by the spirits, perhaps we can have somebody take up the long lost title once again"

Rina looked at Alanis with her eyes narrowed

"you're an ambitious one aren't you,"

Alanis smiled back

"look around me, I have as a companion, a human boy who is going to be a Nightfall Archer, or die trying, a little noble girl who is only around 14 or 15 yet understands the abstract concept of sprits which even us elves have struggled to understand. How could I raise my head in front of these two if I didn't have a few dreams"

Rina threw her head back in laughter. She looked back at Alanis with a wide grin

"you three really do remind me of my adventuring days, you specifically are a splitting image of me back then, ambitious, a dreamer, but also foolish."

Rina hastened her pace and walked back to the front of the group.

"Alright guys," she said to the entire group

"We have around a 3 days trip to the place where the necromancer's territory started so relax while you still can."