¤ Garden of Darkness

”No wonder Hedwig was so arrogant. Although the numbers of fairies in Orbis have diminished greatly, and their influence in Orbis weakened, the ruler set above them would wield certain power. Not to mention a greater proportion of contempt for us pathetic mortals.

More importantly, this Hedwig has appeared twice in my quest. How is Hedwig related to the Royal family? Why are the Royal fairies so interested in Aurora’s past? The fairies are now so estranged from mortal affairs since the decline of their city, they no longer bother to even restrict mortals from entering freely into Orbis like before. The most of their interactions with mortals are limited to the occasional favours that they ask from us and the monetary transactions that are carried out in the Potions, Weapons and Defence shops.

It seems impossible that the research into a mortal’s history would have any effect on the politics on Orbis right now, as a Regent’s concern should be about. In her visit, Hedwig did not even proclaim her rank. I sense that Hedwig wants the Project’s termination only out of personal reasons. All the more urgent is the need to find out the truth.

(The truth! That voice in the dream, it did warn me that someone would try to stop me.)”

Silver threw down her pen onto the pages of her journal, frustrated at the tangle of thoughts in her head and at her inability to record them coherently. On one hand, she was angry at the unwonted hostility that Hedwig had shown her. Her stubborn heart and librarian’s instincts repeatedly told her to get on with the Project, because all the covering up that Hedwig was doing was just too fishy.

Picking up her pen again, she scrawled two more lines onto the paper. ”This obstruction to the Project’s progress is unacceptable. I will not let anyone intimidate me into giving up!” She dug her pen deep into the pages at the exclamation mark, almost as if stabbing the book.

On the other hand, she did not want to endanger Jaysen or Ida. Both of them had voluntarily joined her quest, and here was a threat from a powerful fairy sorceress. One of the many reasons why I should work alone, she thought tiredly, I will hate to see any of them hurt.

‘Are you sure you want to hunt for that necklace?’ Silver heard Ida say, almost hysterically. ‘The Garden of Darkness, there are lots and lots of Lucidas there! I heard that many adventurers who go there barely make it back.’

She looked up from where she was sitting on the bed. Ida paced up and down the room, her hands fidgeting nervously with the rim of her White Guiltian. Jaysen, on the other hand, was merely leaning casually against the wall next to the window, playing with his dagger again. The sunlight glanced off his golden blade, throwing abstract patterns across the room. His face was calm, his light blue eyes looking lazily at Silver.

‘I need the journal back. Hedwig obviously thinks that I can’t do it.’ Silver said through gritted teeth. ‘I don’t want any of you in danger. I will go alone.’ She dragged her backpack onto her bed, and started to pack her journal in.

‘I’m sure you can do it alone,’ Jaysen said quietly. Putting away his dagger, he went before Silver, crouching down to stare into her face. ‘But we won’t leave you to face danger alone. What friends are we if we abandon you right now? Do you agree?’ His tone was stern as he directed the question to Ida. Silver stared back at him, touched at his concern, yet a little unused to this serious Jaysen.

‘Y-yes.’ Ida said, her lips trembling a little. ‘I-I’m afraid, but I will go with you.’

‘Then, it’s settled then!’ Jaysen broke suddenly into a startling grin. ‘We can do it!’ Silver could not help but smile a little at his optimism. ‘What are your orders, O Great General?’

‘Why, my loyal subordinate,’ Jaysen winked at Silver, ‘Being such a great archer with most unerring accuracy, you can lend us your talents by sniping our enemy from afar. Ida can heal us when we get injured. Don’t worry,’ he said, turning to Ida, ‘We will protect you.’ Ida managed a quivering smile.

‘As for me,’ he proclaimed finally, patting himself on the chest, ‘I’m sure I can hit those Lucidas so fast, they won’t even know who did it.’

‘And you were saying?!’ Silver yelled over the chaos behind the pile of rubble they were hiding. The air on the other side of the barricade hissed and cackled with red energy from the Lucidas, as the huge black cats growled and meowed in rage at being unable to get at the three of them.

‘That, um, we would have some problems here?’ Jaysen peered over the top of the pile, then ducked quickly as a flash of red electricity shattered the already broken tile stacked there.

‘No! You said, “I’m sure I can hit them so fast, they won’t even know who did it.”’ Silver mimicked his self-important tone. ‘I guess all those Lucidas bombarding us now have absolutely no idea that you attacked them, haven’t they?!’ Standing up, she drew her bow and let fly a glowing Soul Arrow, then ducked down quickly.

However, a streak of red lightning hit her on her shoulder before she could get behind cover and made her hiss in pain. There was a humourless grin on her lips, though, when she heard a Lucida howl in agony as her arrow found her target.

Ida reached out silently to Silver with a trembling hand, sending cool green sparks to her shoulder that smothered the burning pain there. Silver nodded her thanks, then steeled herself for another sniping attempt.

How could their plan have gone so wrong? Jaysen had entered the Garden first, to scout for a hiding place. At his cue, the two girls also went into the Garden, and found to their surprise that it was strangely empty. Shrugging, Jaysen indicated a pile of rubble that formed a semi-circular barricade at one side, and the girls hid there.

Going deeper into the Garden, Jaysen then discovered a group of five Lucidas sleeping around a patch of flowering shrubs. He also quickly discovered the Lucida that had the necklace: it was dangling around its neck, its fine gold chain tangled in its thick fur. As planned, Jaysen had lured that Lucida away, towards the barricade so that all three of them could take it down together.

Okay, so maybe it’s our fault. Silver thought, embarrassed. The girls had taken one look at the Lucida, and immediately their hearts melted. Although large, the black cat still retained some of the adorable features of its smaller, coloured cousins, and Silver never had the heart to hurt those cats. Ida pleaded with Jaysen, saying, ‘But it is just a cute thing!’

‘Hello, ladies? In case you forgot, this “cute thing” is dangerous?’ Jaysen had hissed in exasperation.

‘Just try to get the pendant. Maybe we don’t need to hurt it.’ Silver had said in reply, and Ida had nodded in agreement.

Silver cursed herself. That moment of weakness had definitely undone all their planning. Somehow, as Jaysen untangled the chain, the Lucida suddenly became enraged. It had turned suddenly onto Jaysen, and forced him to draw his dagger. Silver dared not shoot then, for fear that she might accidentally hit Jaysen, so embroiled in the tussle he and the Lucida were.

In the din that the ensuing struggle created, the other Lucidas were roused from sleep. Seeing their fellow creature being attacked, their fighting instincts were awakened, and this full-scaled battle was joined.

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Links to previous chapters:
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I have no idea how feasible it is for a lvl 6X bandit, lvl 5X huntress, and a lvl 4X cleric to go hunt Lucidas, but I have a feeling that it wouldn’t be easy. I always have this fear of going to maps with monsters that are way more higher-leveled than myself. :X

I’m feeling a little sad now, having read a few forum posts and blogs that complain about too many fanfics on this blogging website. I feel like I’m at the receiving end of these, basically because I am the author of this fanfic. Holy unagi, it definitely isn’t quality stuff.

*depressed* I think I shall go on Maple now. I need some cheering up.