-=The Fourth Lightbringer=-

Shadow, Amber, Emma, Genya, Lance, Skye, and Grendel the Really Old were now grouped together amidst the townsfolk once more, at the floor of Ellinia. The day was slowly ending, made evident by the fading rays that were now barely poking through the walls of trees. The townsfolk stood together as a large circle, in the middle of which were the twenty taken by the Victorian Oni, along with a silver urn. All bodies were covered in decorative quilts, each bearing a victim’s name. On the urn was etched the name, “Kyle Sage.”

Emma and Genya approached the middle, eyeing those who were to be sent. They gripped their spellcasting weapons tightly, trying to stay strong, even with the task laid before them. This was something they had done a number of times before, though each time felt just like the first. More lives lost brought more emotion to everyone involved in the ceremony, which made it more difficult for the Raine sisters to perform, as though it were a heavy burden that enacted a powerful psychological toll on them. Nonetheless, they took heart every time, knowing that through the pain and sorrow, they were helping the souls of the fallen to find eternal peace.

As they prepared for the leave taking, Emma made an announcement. “I just remembered that this funeral requires the Aria of Finality. If someone could lend their voice, we’d be very grateful.” Hearing this, Amber was the first to step forward, though she hesitated afterwards. “I…I…” she stammered nervously. Genya went over to her and whispered in her ear as she beckoned her towards the circle. “I….I haven’t sang it in a while,” Amber responded. “I just thought…well, I’m not sure I-” Genya stopped her with more whispering, during which she held Amber’s hand. “Yes…you’re right, he would…okay, I’ll do it.” Amber joined the Raines in the circle.

And so the funeral began. Amber’s voice came to life, bringing forth a slow, somber song that was beautiful in every way. The soft, lilting tones seemed to bring an amount of solace to everyone who heard it, along with the lyrics that brought reassurances of peace and hope. Though they couldn’t understand the words, Shadow and the others could feel just as much calm from the aria.

As the song radiated through the village, Emma and Genya held up their staff and wand respectively, quietly and gently waving them over the departed as they slowly encircled the departed. Once they had made three laps, their weapons took on a prismatic glow, as they were surrounded by dancing, vibrant colors. At the same time, the blanketed bodies and the urn were also lit up by the glow. At this, the sisters moved their devices about in intricate, mystifying patterns, twirling their bodies as though in a dance. Slowly, the auras of colors grew, as the hues moved faster and more lively. Eventually, the sisters stopped and pointed their weapons in the air, at which time Amber’s singing came to an end. The colors became extremely jubilant and rose to great proportions, then detached from the victims they surrounded. The colors reformed themselves into twenty-one orb-like shapes with waving tails. Many of the townspeople who saw this broke down instantly; they knew the spirits had finally been released from their earthly bonds, and would soon depart for eternity. Now, with the leave taking finished, Emma and Genya bowed to the spirits, then pointed them towards the sky. In response, the colorful spirits flew off in an instant, like shooting stars. The Ellinians all waved farewell to their now forever free friends for as long as they could see them, then slowly left the gathering. Shadow and the others were the last to leave, all of them just as awed from the spectacle as the townsfolk. As they returned to Grendel’s home, Amber went over to a teary-eyed Skye.

“THAT is what the leave taking is,” Amber said solemnly.

“I’ll never forget it,” Skye replied.

When they were close to their destination, Shadow noticed a blue glow out of the corner of his eye. *Scorpion,* he thought. Being cautious not to let the others see, he let himself slow his pace until he was a fair distance behind them, then pulled out his blue orb.

“Shadow, you’re okay!” Scorpion replied through the blue flame. “Thank goodness! The elders felt something ominous earlier, and had a feeling it was coming from where you were. They wanted me to check on you. I would’ve done it earlier, but I took some time to see if they could figure it out.”

“Good to see you, Scorpion,” Shadow replied. “Yeah, I’m okay, and glad to be. Something bad did happen, and I tell you, it could’ve been worse. Lucky I was nowhere near it. Still….”

“Still, what?” Scorpion questioned impatiently through the silence. “Was it something devastating?”

“Yes, it was,” Shadow replied grimly. “Scorpion, I may have found my first lead into the source of evil I’m looking for right now. Apparently, there’s someone here called the Victorian Oni, who has been killing Victoria Island citizens once every few months. He made his latest attack earlier today in a forest town called Ellinia. Twenty-one…no, I think it was twenty two…people died. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the oni’s first attack. In fact, this has been going on for years!”

“No way…” Scorpion said, completely aghast. “If it’s been going on for years, Ryu would’ve said something when he was there!”

Shadow thought about that statement for a moment. “Well, our village was unharmed back then, so he probably kept it secret so the people wouldn’t despair or be overcome with fear,” he suggested. “One thing about it, this ordeal didn’t seem to affect him at all.”

“That is good reasoning,” Scorpion said in agreement. “He always did think of the villagers here whenever missions involved them. Well…can this oni or whatever be stopped?”

“I’m thinking he can, but currently there is no way known. The say he is invincible and he can kill with nothing more than his mind.”

Scorpion gasped. “Geez, that’s wonderful!” he cried out. “Well, you’ll have to be extra careful then. I mean that, Shadow, those remaining in our village don’t want to lose you at all.”

Though it pained him to know he was being worried about so badly, Shadow simply took the words to heart, knowing that at least the village hidden in darkness was caring about him. “I understand,” he said. “For now, I’m going with some friends I made to see if we can learn about anything else we can do. One of the job masters here will help us, a wizard called Grendel the Really Old.”

“Alright, then,” Scorpion acknowledged. “Take it easy, be careful, and if anything pertinent comes up, just let me know.”

“Okay, I’ll see you la-” Shadow stopped himself. He suddenly recalled the beginning of the conversation, and something about it that seemed out of place. “Hang on a sec, Scorpion, did you say the elders felt something all the way over in Maple World?”

“Well, yeah, that’s how they put it,” Scorpion replied, dumbfounded by the instant concern. “Is something wrong with that?”

“In a way,” Shadow clarified. “I mean, nothing wrong with their help and all, but I’ve only been gone a couple days. Just how much power have the elders recovered since then? I thought it would take them a while. Plus, I never knew they could even sense anything in another realm.”

Now it was Scorpion’s turn to think. “You know, those are good questions,” he said. “Maybe they have more power than we thought, or maybe that sensing doesn’t require as much power to use….man, I never thought about that stuff.”

“It’s alright, Scorpion,” Shadow quickly said, dismissing the subject. “Maybe the next time you talk with them, you might ask them about that. I was just curious. Maybe they are that powerful…anyway, I’m close to my destination, so I’ll talk to you later.”

“Gotcha. See you ’round, Shadow!” Scorpion said with a smile as the blue flame became an orb again. Shadow quickly repocketed his orb and rejoined the others, his mind now accompanied by new things to think about.

Around that time, the party made it to Grendel’s home again. Inside, the wizard invited everyone to a seat at a large, round table. Hot cocoa was passed around; it was a treat the wizard always enjoyed, as he believed it could easily warm and relax anyone’s heart, no matter the duress they were in.

“Before we discuss anything else,” Grendel began, “I just want to thank young Amber and the Raines for their services today. I’m sure the souls sent out today won’t forget the act of kindness we showed them.” The others nodded in approval. The three girls were thankful in return, though the emotional strain from the ordeal hadn’t completely left them.

“Alright, now to business,” Grendel started anew. “As I said earlier, there exists an old prophecy that you may want to hear. I only know bits and pieces of it, but hopefully it will still help. It all came to me in a dream some time ago. The dream showed four different silhouettes at first. All of them looked indistinguishable, as though they were clones. They were gathered around in a cluster, appearing to be discussing something, though I couldn’t hear anything. Then, five more silhouettes appeared around them. One appeared to be of a girl, though she wasn’t paying attention to the gathering. Another seemed to be a creature of some sort, but he it was difficult to know its shape. He appeared to be constantly morphing. The third was a man of huge proportions. There was no doubt in me that he was the Victorian Oni, as he has raided our island for years. However, I also noticed something by his leg…appeared to be a…ball and chain, maybe? I wasn’t for certain. Anyway, the fourth appeared to be a swordsman with a long, narrow sword probably six feet in length, longer than any sword that exists in this world. He seemed to be listening intently on the conversation. Finally, the fifth one I found most auspicious. I’m not for certain, but it looked a little like the ruler of Ossyria, Empress Victoria….and she was on her hands and knees, apparently begging for help….well, as I said, they were just silhouettes, so there’s little guarantee I’m correct on any of them other than the oni. All I know is that after seeing them all, I felt a wave of darkness and evil protrude from the four who looked alike, along with a little more from the others. It was a terrible feeling that has stuck with me to this day. After going over the dream the next day, I concluded that they may be a group that is plotting to take over our world….or even destroy it.”

The rest of the group looked at eachother with worry. “So, you think ALL of them are involved with this?” Lance asked.

“I can’t say for certain,” Grendel clarified, “especially with the two females. I didn’t feel as much evil from them, but there was a little. I don’t know, maybe they aren’t as willing as the others. Still, I won’t exclude them just because of that.”

“Besides the oni, have you been able to discover any of their identities since seeing the dream?” Emma asked.

“No, I have not,” Grendel answered with disdain. “I haven’t seen or heard anything about them, not even the one that appeared to be the empress. Plus, it is very difficult for me to leave my home for extended periods, as it is for the other job masters. There are always newcomers arriving for their new jobs, as well as experienced adventurers looking for advancement. Of course, this does bring about the idea that they don’t want to be found.”

“All but the oni, anyway,” Emma muttered bitterly. “Then again, it might not matter for him, since he’s so unstoppable.”

“Actually, the oni might be different,” Skye countered. “I mean, don’t you think there’s a chance he’s being…forced to do this? Like a caged animal set loose once in a while? After all, there was a ball and chain mentioned.”

“Perhaps, but that’s a shot in the dark to me,” Emma returned. “How on earth could anyone, even those silhouettes mentioned, be able to control something that powerful? Maybe that object by him was a hidden weapon of sorts.”

“Well, I don’t know what to think about the oni,” Shadow said, “but I do have an idea about the swordsman. This is a wild guess, but Mai from Maple Island and the Dark Lord both mentioned a powerful warrior that had a negative personality. Could that be him?”

The others thought about this. “There’s only a slim chance,” Lance finally said. “I’ve caught sight of him once or twice before, keeping a long distance from him each time. From the way I’ve seen him act and fight, he appears to be someone who wouldn’t want help from anyone. Like I said, though, there mignt be a chance, and here’s why: catching sight of him is the single rarest achievement anyone can make in this world, even rarer than finding equipment from monsters. That gives me the idea he’s hiding somewhere, not wanting to be found…like the others.”

“As for the one who appears to be the empress,” Amber said, “the only thing I can think of is asking her. I personally don’t think she’s involved, though; she’s always been a kind and wise ruler wherever she reigned.”

*I’ll keep it to myself for now,* Emma thought to herself after Amber’s observation, *but I can think of one thing that might say otherwise, though not with certainty.*

The group was silent as they kept thinking of the other silhouettes and who they could be. No further ideas came up.

“All of the possibilities mentioned are valid ones,” Grendel announced, breaking the silence. “However, who the enemy is is just one concern. Another thing we must keep in mind is how to stop them.”

The others looked at each other, bewildered. “As important as that is, we may be jumping the gun on that issue,” Emma stated. “For one thing, we don’t even know where they are!”

“Correct. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare ourselves for when we find them….or if they find us. As for preparations, there is only one thing I know of right now, though it’s better than nothing. Genya, do you still have that medallion I gave to you?”

Genya nodded, pulling out a large coin from her left pocket. It was yellow in color, holding a brilliant shine. On one side was etched the number four. Shadow reacted instantly upon seeing it, as he pulled out his medallion. “I have one as well,” he said, comparing it with hers. “Dark Lord gave it to me.”

Grendel gazed at the two medallions, nodding in fascination. “Interesting,” he noted in awe. “Just by looking at them, it’s easy to see they are related somehow. As to their meaning, I’m not entirely sure. All I know is that I first found the coin after the dream I discussed. At one point in the vision, that medallion appeared before me. It shined a powerful light that dispelled the silhouettes. I woke up immediately afterwards, and quickly discovered I was holding that same artifact! As I got my first close look at it, I heard an unseen voice whisper Genya’s name. I don’t know how, but I knew it was meant for her.”

The entire group studied the two medallions for a moment. “Three…and four…” Skye counted. “Say, do you think there’s a chance there are two more?”

This idea got the group thinking. Soon after, conclusions were reached. “Aside from Dark Lord and Grendel, there are two more job masters,” Lance recalled.

“It’s possible those two received medallions as well, both likely having the numbers one and two,” Emma stated.

“And just like Shadow and Genya, those two are each meant for someone, no doubt a warrior and an archer!” Amber concluded.

“Then there’s one very likely resolution,” Shadow announced. “These four medallions are related in some way, which means their owners must be, as well. And by ‘related,’ I mean that they are linked in some way, perhaps being tied to a certain quest, or having a common goal. I’m not at all certain as to what the quest or goal may be, but I am sure it involves two factors: the silhouettes from Grendel’s dream, and an angel with two different wings from Dark Lord’s dream. Those are just suggestions, of course, but from piecing this all together, I know of one thing we must do: we MUST find these other two medallion recipients. Perhaps together, the four of us can learn more about this mystery.”

“A wise objective to set,” Grendel said in agreement. “As for me, I have given all the information I can come up with. The rest falls to you. Find the other two medallion recipients. Don’t forget, checking with the other two job masters, Dances With Balrogs and Athena Pierce will be very helpful as far as finding the recipients go, and they will most likely have information of their own to share. As for how you do this, it is up to you. At the very least, Shadow and Genya should be the ones to partake in the search. That is all on my part. Farewell to you all, and good fortune on your journeys.”

“Understood, and thank you,” Shadow said. Genya bowed silently. Together, the bandit and the magician set out on their new task.

“Hang on,” Emma called out, stopping the duo. “I’m coming along, too. As grateful to you as I am, Shadow, for saving my sister before, I’ll never forgive myself if I let her go without any sort of family by her side.” Genya smiled in response to the news.

“I’ll go as well,” Amber said. “The Raine sisters were kind enough to accept me into their family. I feel this is the least I can do in return.”

Lance and Skye stood up from their seats. “We were already on our way to Henesys and Perion; we’re going to see if we have what it takes for our first job advancements. Since this journey will take us to those places, we’ll join you. Not only for that reason, though; Shadow was a very nice person for us to meet on our way back from Maple Island, and has remained a good friend. We’ll be happy to help.”

The group was now assembled. Everyone was in agreement with the plan, and a new adventure was in store for all of them. United with a common purpose, they began heading out of the town of Ellinia, in the direction of the mountainous region to the north.

*Together,* Shadow thought as they walked, *we can make it!*

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Hi guys! This chapter was easier to come up with than the last one, so I was able to get it in earlier than I planned. A lot has been discussed so far in this story, so I’m going to be headed in a more action-y direction for the next chappies. Hope you all enjoy it! *Leaves two warehouses full of Mountain Dew* It was just going to be one, but then I saw I forgot to leave some in the last chappie. Sorry about that!^^;

Previous Installments:

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