Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Omens

Sitting across from the couch in their home, Greg sighs as he scrubs his armor clean. “So, what now?” They had reported to the Guild about Jane’s parents, but with the storm and the situation with Vorpalia, everything was a bit of a mess.

“The Guild is looking into the noble’s retainer who is registered in town. It seems they work for a Baron in Lushtali called Doraan.” Nadia is spread across the entire couch, her long braided silver hair twirling in her fingers. “The Guildmaster also said that he would need to meet with Vorpalia himself and that we should be ready to move out tomorrow morning.”

Groaning, Greg begins to complain. “Ugh, but the dumb rain is chilling me to the bone. Won’t this storm ever end?” The cold rain had been making the dwarf desperate, his race normally preferring hotter climates and not doing well with frigid temperatures.

Rolling her eyes at Greg while he shakes his fists at the clouds, Dahlia chimes in with a hopeful suggestion from her place sitting on top of the collapsed Nadia. “Hey, Greg. Can’t you make an umbrella with your [Wind Magic] like Vorpalia did with blood?”

The dwarf just snorts. “Sure, if you want me to use up all my Ether and give away our position to every monster nearby.” Internally he also can’t help but add that he has nowhere near the Ether control to make something so detailed.

“There’s gotta be a magic tool for that. Also, Dahlia. Get off me.” Nadia grunts and tries to struggle her legs free.

“Obviously, but nothing that we could afford.” Dahlia smiles while pointedly ignoring her friend’s struggle. Her actions get a glare in response but the elf is unable to free herself. Staring out at the sheets of rain coming down outside the window, Dahlia lets out a sigh. “Didn’t the Guildmaster say that this storm could be an omen? One of those Old Ones that Lupis always talked about.”

“Those are just a myth, Dahlia. Fragments are nothing more than a dumb story parents tell to keep their children in line. And seriously, I am losing feeling in my legs. Get off.” Nadia’s serious tone gets Dahlia to finally slide forwards to let the elf kick her legs free and over the back of the couch. “Thank you, now as recompense for my agony I require your tail.”

“Agony my ass, a scout should have much better circulation in their legs than that. You need to get over your fluff obsession.” Dahlia snorts and flicks her damp tail over to the elf who grabs a brush off the side table and begins enjoying the vulpid’s fluff.

“Never. As for the whole Fragment thing, I dunno. The Goddess did bring those Otherworlders over. Could be to fight back against the Old Ones.” None of them really considered those fairy tales about the Old Ones to be real. Just old garbage the church spits out on occasion.

Though no one really knows the reason the Goddess let the Otherworlders into their world, people just assumed it must have been for some purpose. Not that their Goddess was the most serious person by all accounts. Even the church can’t deny that the Goddess had done some strange things for seemingly no reason.

“I guess Vorpalia was pretty strong, though I hear there are a lot of Otherworlders that are just plain trouble.” Nadia continues to brush and occasionally rub Dahlia’s tail against her face as she thinks back on all the stories she has heard about Otherworlders.

“You heard about the goat thing?” Greg chuckles as he recalls the same.

“I was there when you heard about it. We all were.” Nadia rolls her eyes at the dwarf’s shoddy memory.

“Oh. Right.” He scratches his cheek in embarrassment before refocusing on his shield. “I heard that Otherworlders can’t die, scary to think about them criminal ones.”

Dahlia can’t help but think about monsters like Vorpalia out there too. I really wonder what the Goddess’ motives are. Everything about the arrival of the Otherworlders and these storms that preclude disaster, they seem to be building to something. “The missive from the church only really said that the Otherworlders would be coming over and to treat them as you would any other. But, I can’t help but wonder why now? Do you think something bad is coming?”

“Right, I did hear a few stories about the disasters that can follow the storms. A really bad one happened over in Baukis. Though sometimes nothing happens.” Greg uses a bit of [Metal Magic] to buff out the dent in his shield as he talks. “Though, shouldn’t the capital have sent some people by now? This storm is getting pretty bad.”

Dahlia pulls her tail away from Nadia as the elf starts getting too touchy feely with the thing before correcting the dwarf. “No… something about the storm keeps people from coming and going. Something you would know if you had paid attention to the Guildmaster’s full brief.” Greg was easily distracted whenever the Guildmaster was going on a lecture, despite both being dwarves the two couldn’t be more different.

“That is what we have you for though? Party leader’s job to remember all that stuff.” Once again not looking either of the two women in the eye, Greg stares intently at his already fixed and cleaned shield. Dahlia shares a glance with Nadia but the two just ignore the dwarf’s refusal to change. They had all been friends since they were kids so this was nothing new.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Staring out at the rain, Dahlia can’t help but shiver. “I hope nothing too bad happens, the problem with Jane is already enough to weigh on my mind.”

“You really care about the kid don’t you?” Nadia smiles at her friend's softness on the elven girl. It has seemed as though Dahlia was really enjoying training her and watching her grow. She had a rather motherly side to her whenever the girl came around to ask for instruction. It was nice.

“Of course, she’s a good kid. I always felt she had a bright future… Better than my own.” Dahlia’s ears droop a bit as she mumbles the last part of her statement. She was stuck in this town and never had the strength to leave. Jane would be different, she was sure of it.

Nadia lightly pushes her foot against Dahlia’s head. “Hey, no point getting all down on yourself. You are a C Rank adventurer! We are the biggest names in this whole town. Sure, the place is in the fuck all middle of nowhere, but you made something of yourself here.”

“And you got us. Aside from that dick Lupis.” Greg smiles as he lends a hand to cheer up Dahlia.

“Thanks guys.” The vulpid woman’s ears quickly perk back up as her friends pile on compliments and jokes until they all finally relax. “Hmm, I wonder how Lupis is doing?”

“Who cares? Dude was a pain in the ass thirty hours a day, five days a week. Nearly got us killed! Would have if Vorpalia was not so caring.” Nadia spits a bit angrily as she recalls how annoying Lupis had always been. It really had been the last straw when he picked a fight with a monster for no reason, a fight that they obviously would have lost.

“I just hope he doesn’t hold a grudge.” Greg’s final mumble quietly goes unnoticed as the rain starts to pour down even harder.

----------------------------------------

Trudging through the muddy road, Lupis growls while following a figure in a dark suit, the downpour making his voice vanish into the ether. “Where are we going?” He had been following the man for over an hour and he still refused to explain much, just that Lupis would be able to make his former party pay for humiliating him.

“You want power, yes? To show them they were wrong? I am taking you to a place I prepared, a place where you can gain that power.” The figure’s arrogance never wavered in the face of Lupis’ attitude. They simply kept on the path and Lupis followed.

“There is no way it is that simple. You’re shady as hell.” At this point Lupis was not even sure why he was still following this person, they had barely explained anything. And despite that, Lupis couldn’t stop himself from seeking the promised power. He hated them, they way they looked at him after everything went down. He had always been kind to them, teaching them about magic and putting up with their crap. They had no right to kick him out of the party for such a small incident.

It was not even his fault, it was the monster’s. That arrogant creature thought it was better than him, showing off its power like it owned the place. So what if he lashed out, the stupid creature deserved to die! Why was he following this person? To show them he was right, that was why. But still, this noble retainer refused to give him a straight answer.

Never turning back to face the ulfr, the figure just keeps moving along as they converse. “And yet, you are still following me.” Lupis could feel the smug attitude radiating off the person before him. He hated it.

“I really don’t know why I am…” To be honest, Lupis was feeling afraid at this point, he was a coward when things got too far out of his comfort zone, so he wanted to bail. “What did you do to me?” He could only think that he had been charmed or something, he wanted to run but his feet kept moving along, never slowing.

“Nothing dear, I am simply offering you a chance you can’t pass up.” Though the figure was still facing forwards, Lupis could feel them grinning as they spoke.

“Y-You still haven’t answered my question. Where are we going?” He just wanted a straight answer.

“Ah yes, such a silly little question… I am taking you to a place connected to this world, a nexus of sorts. It is not much further, just a bit into The Abyss.”

Lupis growls and his desire to flee continues to increase, but the pressure from the retainer won’t let him do anything but walk. His feet are not under his control. After some time they finally arrive in The Abyss, passing through a hidden entrance. A fissure in the side of a cliff that led down into the labyrinth. The cold smooth black walls and dim Etheric lights barely illuminating the passageways, the endless maze under the world got darker the deeper they moved.

Winding paths and large caverns, yet they never seemed to run into a single monster. Lupis knew they were there though, he could feel the eyes on him as they walked. At last, they arrived at their destination. Conveniently, this location was at the dead center of the storm clouds above the surface.

The room was full of a liquidy black substance in a deep pool. The liquid writhed and twisted as if it was alive, responding to their presence. Walls covered in pale blue torches and ritual circles carve in the stone.

“Yeah okay, no. I am not doing whatever the hell this cult shit it. I’m out.” At this point, Lupis’ fear had won out. He managed to free his feet from the floor and started to back away when the figure called out to him, mockingly.

“You were so close, backing out now would make you so weak, a coward. Just like your old party called you.”

“Fuck you!” He growled but never stopped backing up, though his pace slowed at the provocation.

“My, my, my. You don’t want power then? Pathetic.” The figure spat on the ground.

“Screw you!”

“Your vocabulary is not improving. I suppose your party will just get away with treating you like dirt. A shame you seem intent on proving them right. Such a coward.” The figure’s voice taunted and prodded at Lupis, pushing every single button in perfect sequence to get him to stop.

And he did.

“Grrrrr. Fine! I’ll do it!” He couldn’t back out now.

Clapping happily, the noble retainer led the ulfr deeper into the nexus. “Wonderful! Now, please follow me.”

And the two disappeared into the pool of black liquid.