Seems like a fine enough plan, Boss. Here’s hoping we’ll find what you want, eh?

"Of course we will find it. Friend, and with you with us, I have no doubt!"

There Vesemir, smiling radiantly. Despite his age, the man was always easily pleased when someone was agreeing with his idea. The Gray Flame has learned at least that much since their partnership started a week ago. Such a simple characteristic that had become not as simple as it looked anymore the more you know about the man.

And because he knew, The Gray Flame would rather not debate him when he brought up the matter about the items. Engelbert too seemed to share the sentiment, and would rather add more smiles to their boss' lips by assuring that the details in their contract to protect him would remain unchanged. It was a jolly declaration. That led to another proposition for Engelbert to volunteer to cook the dinner for everyone.

And so he did.

Gray stayed in the living room, sitting on the sofa directly facing the fireplace, seemingly in a deep contemplation.

The dinner arrived at last, and it came with the sound of marching metals. Vesemir was delighted he went to the stairs and shouted like a fussy nanny; "Roxas! Tillius, the dinner's ready!"

Nothing really special about a pot of stew, but it was always a recognized comfort food, especially when a rainstorm was still raging outside. Everyone quickly claimed their share, bowls filled, and hardtacks dipped. It was warm, just what most of them needed, and filling, and delicious enough.

The dinner had finished at last. The Gray Flame and some others volunteered to wash the dishes, and the tea set on the granite counter ceremoniously, like it had a sentimental value for him, or perhaps just a way of saying thanks.

It was midnight, and outside, the rain was still pouring. Before sleeping, Gray Flame reminded Rezello that there was some supply of firewood in the kitchen enough to keep them warm until the morning came, should he need to extinguish his fire.

The night was uneventful, and the following morning was dry, full of sunshine, and filled with optimism. After a brief preparation, the party continued their journey, leaving the lonely house behind, and for a certain someone, the past that was never connected to him to begin with.

__________

---

By midday, they already passed the Village of Lindunn, then after many tranquil fields, green pastures, and forested dells, stopped again at night in the village near the unnamed river. After that, same routine, until they were close to the border.

And at last, on the third morning since they left Alkautsar, the party halted once more. Before them, disconnected from the glades they had just passed, and still dark in the twilight was the mass of forestry. The sources of legends, and shivering stories.

The road, strangely was not severed and continued on toward the forest like a grim path of no return. It looked like the remains of an ancient road, that had once been broad and well-planned, and it still did, as if there was an enchantment that made the encroaching ivies and roots curled and turned away from the curbs of its stonework.

And because the road was decent, the convoy continued with a good speed. Everyone was vigilant, but Gray Flame was focused on the road ahead and not on his surroundings. Especially not to his surroundings, and as their guide, it was better that way.

The air around felt stiff as if enriched by an unknown fine substance, yet the forest around them looked normal, slightly greyed perhaps under the eaves of the old branches and leaves, but the scenery was neither hostile nor fear-inducing, and the calling from kestrels that hid among the swaying chestnut felt like a blatant rebuttal that made the reputations and tales they heard so far sounded nothing more than spurious claims.

But the Gray Flame knew better. That behind those normalcy many kinds of gruesome peril awaited, and it was much better for them to not make too much stop. He knew this forest and this forest knew him.

The convoy continued on with a constant speed and small infrequent rest, but hours upon hours trodding through the lonely road had made the sign of fatigue on the horses apparent, and Carnatia had already stopped her outriding duty for safety reasons hours ago.

It was after he consulted with Vesemir and his own map they finally made a stop. It was 4 in the afternoon, and they would make their camp here, on a glade not far from the road. As they observed the surroundings, everyone could have sworn they saw a similar chestnut tree on the first mile they entered this forest, and now they were under its branches again, which still bore many broad brown leaves of a former year, like dry hands with long splayed fingers; they rattled mournfully in the afternoon-breeze

And as the sun started to sink deeper, the seemingly natural and tranquil ambient sound of chirping birds and crickets was gone, replaced by eerie whispers of the wind, and rustling in thick shrubberies.

Would that make our eccentric archeologist falter? Ha! Hardly! The moment he stepped on the moist soil of this so-called Land of Twilight, it seemed as if his neat suit would swell in excitement. Instructions flew rapidly from him like a busybody commander. Set up the tent, take care of the horses, make a campfire, and clear the nearby shrubs.

“Get on with it boys! We are far from home, but that doesn’t mean we can't make this place feel like one!”

And finally, after one of the porters laid out two crates as the table and a collapsable canvas chair for him to sit on, the eccentric elf opened the map and had everyone gathered.

“The ruins of Lasse is just around the corner, and we are visiting tonight! Yes, you heard that right! No time to waste We are going to Lasse tonight. So I suggest you to get comfy!”

The trip was unexpectedly smooth, the ancient road unusually dry when the ground around it had turned into muddy mush. Whether it was masterful engineering or subtle spellcraft, Engelbert had no idea but he appreciated it nonetheless. They made good time, passing by increasingly small village and hamlet until the only sign of civilization left was the unyielding road stretching from beneath their feet to the yawning chasm that was the primeval forest left largely untouched for longer than some kingdoms have existed.

Something in the road prevented nature from encroaching upon it, leaving a single path into the depth of the greenery like the waiting maw of some massive verdant beast. Despite the infamous reputation it was a forest like any other, rich scent of petrichor rising after the heavy rain with the ever-present sound of birds and other critters forming a chaotic symphony alongside the rustling of wind. With frequent beams of sunlight piercing through the canopies, it made for a picturesque scenery where it's almost too easy to forget the danger lurking in this place.

At least until Engelbert spotted yet another tree that was an almost exact copy of the previous, down to the grooves of the root and the arrangement of branches. Twisted magical insanity was rife in this place. Was it a downside or an upside, for having a flawless recollection?

As the sky darkens and the shadows painted the environ in a brand new sinister light, Gray led them to an open glade that was perfectly fit for a camp. It looked like a localized fire raged a few decades back, likely from lightning strike though Engelbert wouldn't discount the torch of a doomed treasure hunter to cause the incident. Nevertheless, it cleared a section of the forest before it peters out and the natural growth hadn't reclaimed the place yet. There's a few shrubberies here and there, but it's a relatively defensible spot once the carts were arranged to wall off the camp.

The knight spent the first few minutes helping to clear the place, heaving and uprooting the largest shrubs. His greaves sank an inch or two into the loamy, still slightly damp soil, but with his assistance what looked like a couple hours of work was finished within minutes. Insects, creepy crawlies, and on one occasion a family of rabbits scattered as he pulled the obstacles off, casually tossing it to the outer edge of the glade before rejoining on Vesemir's call.

"Tonight, Ser Vesemir?" Asked Engelbert with a slight tilt of the head, peering down on the map. It's... hmm, looked like it was actually close enough to feasibly reach, but a night march was an entirely different beast than daytime. "It would be quite dangerous, if only from the risk of someone tripping and breaking their ankle. May I know the reason why?"

As eccentric as their boss were, Vesemir was nothing if not logical. If he wanted a night visit, he should have a good reason why.

---

“Are you perhaps a little envious, my dear Carnatia?” said Fia coyly. Fia continued to smile at the orange haired spellsword, tilting her head as though adding pressure.

"N-No, that is not what I–" Carnatia started saying. Though, just at that moment, her brain decided to betray her with a stray train of thought.

"Though given his build, his arms must be firm with rippling muscl–Ack! This woman is dangerous, she almost had me."

Fortunately for her, though, Forbann's next words killed all of Fia's momentum.

“I think you’re fine to go first, Carnatia. A bath wouldn’t go amiss, no,but unfortunately I don't think that most baths in Varenheim could fit me, especially the bath of a cabin in the middle of the woods.” he regrettably had to turn Fia offer down.

"So, unless you wish to use the thunderstorm to wash ourselves, I'll unfortunately have to decline." He joked, trying to abate any disappointment his rejection might have caused.

"He...cannot be this oblivious, is he?" Carnatia thought. Well, nevertheless, it spared her from Fia's teasing, so she did not have a single complaint.

Unfortunately, however, Fia was relentless, seamlessly transposing to her next line of attack.

Fia walked around the table towards the spellsword who took Fia’s place in line for the bath. She reached out and rested her index finger and thumb under Carnatia’s chin and cheek, pulling the two of them closer. “If size is the issue, then perhaps we two would be a better match.” Fia looked into Carnatia’s eyes for several seconds.

"P-Pardon?" Carnatia spluttered. She was not a stranger to being flirted with, but considering her former status as a high-ranking noble and most people whom she interacted with were nobility they were usually much more restrained. And after her exile...well, she mostly kept to herself.

Before long, Fia cracked a smile and her eyes closed shut as she chuckled. She pulled back dramatically and sat down on one of the loose chairs strewn around the table. Fia moved one of her hairs that got stuck on her face out of the way.

"Ah...a jest. I see. Haha, somewhat crass for my liking, but I suppose the use of levity is subjective as they say," Carnatia said, trying to laugh it off. She continued, "Ehem. Well, in any case, I will be partaking in the bath first then."

Carnatia then vacated the premises, heading to the bathroom, led by Nanashi.

---

---

"...In any case, no need for formalities Miss Carnatia. I am now just a mere commoner since my adopted mother died. I usually house chores back home, when I am out of the mission so my body moves on its own. Since you took Miss Fia’s spot, I shall guide you into the bathroom," Nanashi said as he led the former noble to the bathroom.

Carnatia nodded, “Ah. Sir Takumi then, since you refer to me as Miss. You say you do house chores often? That’s quite admirable, I do too, but…ah, I’m not that proficient at it, sadly. Though, enough to get by.”

Nanashi then led Carnatia to the bathroom, before allowing her to enter. After a moment, he hollered from outside the door, “Is the water temperature warm enough, Miss Carnatia?”

“It is, thank you,” Carnatia replied, letting out a small sigh of contentment as she soaked in the warm water, getting rid of the chills from the heavy downpour that beset the group earlier.

“So, who is your master and where did you meet your master? What is the purpose of you having him as a master since I recall that you are a noble.” Nanashi asked.

"Former noble. Though I suppose you noticed, well, to be honest, I'm not quite able to entirely shed my noble persona. It's not as if I am hiding it, I just opt to not mention it nowadays since my circumstances are somewhat complicated. So I would appreciate it if you do not bring it up, especially around the others," Carnatia clarified, perhaps there were others who hadn't realized that she was a noble, Carnatia coped.

She then continued, “His name was Wakita Tokimune. He was a travelling monk who was visiting Greydare—a city in the western part of Westernant—At that time, I was…not exactly in the best place, to say the least. Master Tokimune took me in as his student and taught me various things, combat skills or otherwise. I probably would not be where I am today were it not for him.”

"I see, as for me, I am once a war orphan before. People didn't want to approached me until that day, an elven woman approached me. I kept following when I was young, I never gave up and I was desperate. She adopted me and let me trained as a Shinobi. After that I served her until at the very last moment of her life. I was the one who made a mercy kill for her to ease her suffering. I decided to go here and let go her remains, as she wished,” Nanashi replied.

“…Well, Master Tokimune is not exactly my adopted father. But I am deeply indebted to him. So I do empathize with the great respect you had for Miss Eiko who—like what Master Tokimune did for me—helped you out when you were in a tough spot. Were it Master Tokimune’s wish, I too would embark on a dangerous journey to ensure he was buried how he wanted, not unlike what you are currently doing.”

“Is that so? Also, I didn't have future plans once I done it, to be honest,”

“Surely your particular skill sets would be in high demand? Ah, but I suppose if you do not wish to continue being an adventurer after this expedition, there are not many employment options that utilize such skills aside from being part of a nation’s espionage corps. Well, at the very least the pay for this expedition is large enough for you to live comfortably for a while. If you’d like my advice, perhaps take a sabbatical using the money to figure out what you want to do with your life next.”

Well, she assumed he was talking about future job prospects, rather than the grim tradition of the ritualistic suicide she had heard was practised by samurai and shinobi. If it's the latter...Carnatia wasn't exactly equipped to deal with it. And to be honest, she'd rather not, really. They had just met with no relation prior, so it did not really concern her nor was it her responsibility, though pragmatically speaking, a loss of manpower in this expedition would be regrettable.

“Well, I just came from the mainland of my country so I don't have any experience of being an adventurer. Speaking of money, I do have inherited money that currently deposited at the harbor's bank. It's quite abundant which gave me uncomfortable feeling when I boarded to a ship. Perhaps I could open some business but not in my country. I no longer able to go back there and yeah I keep that in mind, thank you for the advice,”

Fortunately for Carnatia, Nanashi indeed was talking about future prospects. Carnatia then replied, "In that case, I suggest opening a business that makes use of Eastern customs. Perhaps an oriental-themes restaurant, or an eastern tea shop, or perhaps a massage parlour. The exotic nature of it could help you penetrate the market and garner quite a bit of interest."

The two then talked for a bit more, exchanging business ideas since both of them had plans to open businesses after the expedition. While Carnatia would not exactly propose opening a business together since she barely knew the man, networking was never harmful, just in case Nanashi opened a successful business venture in the future.

Eventually, Carnatia finished her bath while Nanashi prepared the water for Fia.

---

---

The next morning, Carnatia noticed that no one had claimed the enchanted items yet. To Carnatia it seemed such a waste considering their utility, especially the brooch. Even were they to not use the items now, they could be potentially useful in the future. And so, Carnatia decided to take care of them for safekeeping. Of course, she would advocate turning them into the authorities once they came back from the expedition, and then as the owners were–presumably–dead, one of them could submit the necessary paperwork to claim it legally. She would if no one else wanted them. At the very least, they would sell quite a bit of money.

The problem was that while she could carry the brooch and the lamp with no issue, the blades were too cumbersome for her to carry with no intention of using them. Therefore, the best course of action would be to convince someone else to carry them. The obvious choice was Forbann considering his stature, however, Carnatia decided against it since due to his obliviousness he might not be the best person to deal with Engelbert and the Gray Flame who had been curiously protective of the items.

Her choice, eventually fell to the ex-soldier, Tillius. Not only did he have the build to easily carry them, but as a former officer in the Westernant army, and an orc at that, he must be experienced in dealing with unpleasantness. His disciplined and stoic nature, should be enough to rebuff Engelbert and the Gray Flame should they start asking.

After breakfast, Carnatia then talked to the orc, managing to convince him to keep all three items for safekeeping, just in case they would be needed later on.

The group then continued their journey, passing through the Village of Lindunn, into the ancient road that led into the forest. It was the infamous forest, spoken by adventurers as part of cautionary tales. Of hearing from so and so's friends–or acquaintances–who had been in an expedition through the forest who never returned, or return forever changed, their mind addled. Of course, as in many wild adventurer tales, the truth hardly can be ascertained.

Led by Gray Flame as their guide, they ventured into the forest, Carnatia acting as an outrider as usual, at least until it was decided that it would be too dangerous for her to ride separately from the rest of the convoy. She was now riding close to the wagon, keeping pace. Eventually, they stopped in a glade, not far from the oddly well-kept road, about to make their camp.

One thing, however, stuck out to Carnatia. It was the peculiar chestnut tree near them. As an outrider, Carnatia had kept a watch on their surroundings as per her duty, and so she vividly remembered this chestnut tree. It was the same one she encountered back when they first ventured into the forest.

"Tonight, Ser Vesemir?" Asked Engelbert with a slight tilt of the head, peering down on the map. It's... hmm, looked like it was actually close enough to feasibly reach, but a night march was an entirely different beast than daytime. "It would be quite dangerous, if only from the risk of someone tripping and breaking their ankle. May I know the reason why?"

Carnatia interrupted them, "Pardon me, Sir Engelbert, Sir Vesemir. While that is a matter of great import–and I too would like to know why we have to make for the ruins tonight–there is something else I would like to confirm first."

She then turned to the rest of the group, "Tell me, do any of you recognise the chestnut tree there? I could have sworn I had seen this very same tree when we entered this forest. Before we discuss our next step, perhaps it is wise to ensure we haven't been caught in some sort of illusionary trap, forcing us to walk around in circles. I had heard some ruins have traps of that nature."

@Randomness@Deide@Remuri v2@Conscripts@A5G@Mas Bagus

"Tonight, Ser Vesemir?" Asked Engelbert with a slight tilt of the head, peering down on the map. It's... hmm, looked like it was actually close enough to feasibly reach, but a night march was an entirely different beast than daytime. "It would be quite dangerous, if only from the risk of someone tripping and breaking their ankle. May I know the reason why?"

"It is the phantom." Gray Flame answered, but before he could elaborate further, Carnatia interrupted them

"Pardon me, Sir Engelbert, Sir Vesemir. While that is a matter of great import–and I too would like to know why we have to make for the ruins tonight–there is something else I would like to confirm first."

She then turned to the rest of the group, "Tell me, do any of you recognise the chestnut tree there? I could have sworn I had seen this very same tree when we entered this forest. Before we discuss our next step, perhaps it is wise to ensure we haven't been caught in some sort of illusionary trap, forcing us to walk around in circles. I had heard some ruins have traps of that nature."

"Ah, good question. I forgot to tell you why we rangers called this place Chestnut Campsite. This tree has been here since 30 or 40 years ago, and there are actually some crazy stories about it. Nothing really harmful about them though."

The Gray Flame walked and stopped just a few steps away from her, directly facing the ominous tree.

"Still... I can guarantee that there is no illusionary magic at play here. You said earlier that you can dismantle magic, right? I can guide you to check that tree if you want. Just show me your hand."

@Randomguy

In the middle of putting new entries into her personal journal, the eccentric-yet-shrewd archaeologist returned to the living room, announcing himself in that raucous tone pretty much expected from him. ... Eve turned her gaze at Vesemir when he mentioned her (and Carnatia), at first, she was curious as to what matter he wanted to address, after all, he wouldn't just do this without an express purpose. Oh... When he revealed his intentions of rationalizing the appropriation of the enchanted items, she found himself agreeing with him, and then even further when he brought a rather sizable coin pouch to "convince" those who were on the fence about the matter. At that moment, Vesemir reminded Eve of none other than Consul Konstantin, her own father. It was wise, after all, what was wealth than another resource at one's disposal? Coins were much better used as bargaining tools to exert one's will rather than being excessively hoarded inside vaults, gathering dust.

Up next, the monocled elf moved on to - frankly speaking - more important matters, the expedition. While before, Eve's attention was merely attracted, now, she was interested enough to close her journal then sauntered over to the living room's central table, peering down at the map of the Land of Twilight, which lay just east of Alkautsar. "Hmm..." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, weighing the pros and cons of Vesemir's detour proposal, and it didn't take long for her to conclude that it was a wise decision considering the purpose of their journey, "Indeed, the more we can discover about these mythical lands as we head to Nuria, the better, Sir Vesemir." As for the remark of Gray Flame being their guide, well.. obviously, but Eve realized that not everyone might be as privy as herself when it came to the masked elf's role in the group.

After the discussion, Eve took out her journal once more, but this time to copy parts of the map that caught her interest, for quick reference in the future. However, it was at this moment that a little "incident" seemed to crop up nearby. ...? It involved Fia, Forbann, and Carnatia it seemed, something about the former proposing to-... Oh... Young as Eve was, she was still two years older than a decade, on the cusp of growing into adolescence, between that, her extraordinary intellect, and her extensive education, the matter of the "birds and the bees" certainly wasn't lost on her... and it irked her. Ugh... Rolling her eyes at the cringeworthy display, the shorter redhead focused on her journal while her taller counterpart was being all flustered.

Some time later, after discovering an alternative method of cooking without having to involve the mold-infested kitchen, Engelbart the Chef-Knight announced that dinner was ready. At this, Eve raised her head, I suppose I'm feeling a bit famished~ nodded to herself, then closed her journal, ready to join the others in a communal meal. Unlike those hopelessly decadent patricians back home, Eve realized that expecting palace-worthy cuisine would be extremely pompous of her, so, she simply adjusted her expectations accordingly. Hmhm~ a stew would do just fine~ Really, she should be praised for that.

After a hearty dinner with the other members of the caravan, Eve simply picked one of the sofas to tuck herself in, occupying so little of the furniture that one other person - except Forbann - could comfortably sit on the remaining space.

Thus, the night passed...



Hours later, the caravan was on the move once more. After passing through a small village and surrounding farmlands, they finally closed in on the Land of Twilight at last. Hmm...? The young artificer looked up from her journal after finishing yet another entry, her conscious and subconscious noticing the not-so-subtle change in the atmosphere. Honestly, she was expecting it, it would be rather anticlimactic if the so-called mythical ancestral home of elvenkind turned out to be... just another stretch of land.

As they ventured under the canopies of centuries-old branches and leaves, Evelyn looked out of the wagon she was occupying, gazing down at the oddly-pristine road, their bricks bereft of any grass growing between the gaps, untouched by any invading tree roots, and free from even a speck of moss. It wouldn't take an artificer like her to notice that something wasn't natural about these roads. Her interest piqued, Evelyn performed her simple yet reliable scrying spell on one of the blocks. Ah...? What she received in return brought more questions than answers, there was no doubt about it, the road was enchanted, but with... what? She had never encountered this kind of magical signatures before, Enchantments beyond anything I've ever seen before, undocumented in any of the tomes and grimoires I've read... even just from the roads alone, the Twilight Lands held secrets waiting to be discovered.

As if on cue, then came a familiar voice, one spoken behind a mask of solid white, "Something piqued your interest, princess? It is the road, isn't it? Hardly any grass sprouted on their gaps." he paused, and peered to the side of the road as if worrying if the trees had ears. "It was said that Serensiel was so powerful her aura alone terrorized anything she was close to. And such terror, even after 1700 years still lingered at every roads and every lands she ever traveled through."

"I... see..." The redhead found herself slightly at a loss for words, yes, she had heard of Serensiel the Elven Tyrant-Queen before, but to witness her terrible legacy firsthand was still... something. Though the story gave her mixed emotions, one eventually triumphed above all, curiosity, if even the roads were like this, one could only imagine what manner of divine knowledge could be studied from the deepest reaches of Nuria...



Eventually, the sun slowly abdicated its reign to the moon as the late afternoon sky stretched over the Land of Twilight. The convoy decided to make camp, located on a roadside glade, quite near to the ruins of Lasse according to the map. ... While Vesemir, Engelbert, Gray, Carnatia, and the others were discussing about the monocled elf's plans to explore the ruins that very night, Evelyn was examining the... eerily-identical tree. Is it just me or...?

Then before she could put her thoughts together, the redheaded spellsword mentioned what was on her mind, that this particular chestnut tree was identical to the last one, right down to its number and pattern of its branches, leaves, and grooves. "A enchantment of the Illusion school could be at play here, yes, it won't be too farfetched to hypothesize that it was put here to prevent would-be explorers from entering further into the Land of Twilight." The shorter redhead added to the issue.

Then, Evelyn closed her eyes as her lips curled into a small confident smirk, "Fortunately for us, I'm quite capable of unraveling enchantments as much as I can apply them, s-" but before she could properly finish her little boast and eventual offer to help, the Gray Flame was already offering his guide to-... Lady Carnatia...? But... why? That didn't make sense, at all! But-... I am the artificer here, she's a spellsword, what is she going to do? Chop the tree down?! Was it because they were both redheads and Gray simply confused one for the other? No... no that's impossible, he's not an idiot... so, why...? In her assumption of perceived disrespect from someone she looked up to, Evelyn failed to realize that Carnatia can use her disenchantment technique without having to swing her sword.

"..." The masked elf himself might have meant nothing by it, but he nonetheless elicited an intense stare from the younger redhead of the group, to someone at least a bit more observant than average, it'd be quite clear to them that she was holding herself back from throwing a fit, barely. For all of her talks of maturity, decorum, and noblesse oblige, it seemed the prodigy wasn't so above it all, especially when it came to slights against her greatest passion, falsely perceived or not.

@Mas Bagus @Randomguy

---

For the remainder of the night at the house, Roxas didn't come downstairs, not even for dinner. She stayed upstairs, reading the books on medical knowledge. When it was time to leave in the morning; Roxas did come down and apologize to everyone about her behavior. She gave the option for anyone to look in her bag if they suspected her that she was stealing the items.

---

On the route towards their destination, Roxas can either be seen playing her flute or caving into wood. Whenever she carved into the wood, she was infusing it with her mana. Whenever she was done with the carving, she would give it to the respective person; possibly as an apology but most because they would need it.

All items were replicas of items she would see on the person; Mask for Gray Flame, the flower from Fia's hairpin, Rezello's pendant, a random flower for Forbann and Engelbert, Evelyn's brooch, Nanashi's katana, Carnatia's rapier and she even gave Vesemir a small charm of his cane, incase he needed it. All items, save for the flowers, have an engraved flower into it somewhere. It was likely her signature.

---

Once everyone was disembarked from the wagon and told to gather around, Roxas stayed close to the edge as best as she could. She looked to the map, looking up as others talked.

"Tonight, Ser Vesemir?" Asked Engelbert with a slight tilt of the head, peering down on the map. It's... hmm, looked like it was actually close enough to feasibly reach, but a night march was an entirely different beast than daytime. "It would be quite dangerous, if only from the risk of someone tripping and breaking their ankle. May I know the reason why?"

As eccentric as their boss were, Vesemir was nothing if not logical. If he wanted a night visit, he should have a good reason why.

"Injuries can either be taken care of with bandages and salves, or minor healing; as long as it is not needed frequently. I am knowledgeable in taking care of wounds without mana. For clarification on the charms I've given you, they will allow you to enter my barrier if you are not already within it. Do not lose them; I will only make you one other if so. Do no let them be taken from you, anyone who has them will be granted entry." She then went quiet, looking to Carnatia and Gray as they examined a tree for possible illusions or something more nefarious.

---

Despite Gray Flame’s words, Carnatia did feel as if she should still check just for sure. Even if there were no illusion magic at play, the tree could still be an anomaly. There were enough rumours regarding this region that Carnatia felt it would be unwise not to investigate on the off chance.

Still…her disenchantment methods were not exactly the typical ones utilized by mages—or artificers—rather than discovering the true essence of the enchantment and then unravelling it based on arcane theory. Her method was more based on the school of thought from Eastern martial arts that Master Tokimune taught her. There, it was common for martial arts to have the philosophy of ‘severing the chains of fate’ or ‘cutting through karma’. In her case, she more ‘severed’ the metaphysical concept of the enchantment with her mana.

So ideally, they should probably also have someone else along who might identify it better than her for more information. But it was what it was.

And so, Carnatia replied, “I do think we ought to investigate it, Sir Gray, just in case.”

Led by Gray Flame, the two approached the peculiar tree.

Carnatia drew her rapier. She would not immediately strike at the tree, but as she had no idea what sort of arcane phenomenon she was dealing with—if any—she used her rapier as a focus, as she had her mana reached out to the tree.

As the mana reached the tree, Carnatia closed her eyes as she honed her senses, using the mana to ‘palpate’ any traces of mana and magical enchantment surrounding the tree.

‘Now then…I wonder what I might found here,’ she thought.

The tree, towering before them remained unchanged, neither was any layer of illusioned reality shattered around them. The Gray flame stood still, watching patiently.

"So, do you find anything?" Gray Flame asked her after a while.

Carnatia replied, “Well, as far as what I could perceive, there is no enchantment of any sorts. But I did the have the impression that this tree is special. The word that arose in my mind was ‘ancient’, and this tree is quite connected to the forest around us, or rather…perhaps even nature?"

Gray Flame nodded his head before replying, "Let's stop for now and try with a different intention."

He removed his glove and touched the bark. "Channel your magic, not as a means to discover, but as something.... well, like a greeting. Say: Im Carnathia, tele lema dareg insa lyenna. It means "I am Carnatia, I wish to afflict no harm upon thee."

In response, Carnatia sighed, "Sir Gray if you knew what this is, you could have simply told us. Though I confess to some degree of curiosity on my part, so…”

Carnatia then willed the mana to stop prodding at the tree, and instead but simply allowed it to gently touch the tree. She then repeated after Gray Flame, “Im Carnatia, tele lema dareg insa lyenna.”

They waited for, and it seemed there was nothing happened, at first.

But then, four meters above its roots the bark started to part, the branches swayed, and a face, as if it had been chiseled and onto the trunk started to take shape and move.

Carnatia reflexively put her rapier in front of her, starting to imbue it with magic, before the tree started to speak.

"Hrum, Hoom," murmured the voice, a deep voice like a very deep woodwind instrument. The ground around it trembled and a raven could be seen flying off from its branch with a noisy caw.

"No... no, no need to be sophis-ticated with me. You-- sounded like that she-elf from a long time ago. Nobody wants to remember her, neither do I, for barks and roots! No, no need to use your ancient language---"

Two upper gaps that were supposed to be the eyelids peered down and studied Carnathia with its amber-colored, iris-less eyes. The transition between its speech was slow, and the voice that came out from its wrinkled wooden lips was solemn. "Your ears--- they are round like the leaves of Northern Beech. Humans, hmm hmm? What a rare sight... Alas! not usually a friendly, or lucky bunch, what do you want?"

‘A talking tree?’ Carnatia thought.

When she was researching the region before taking the job, she had heard that elves ‘talked to the trees’ to retrieve lost adventurers. She had thought that was a turn of phrase or perhaps some form of druidic magic, but it appeared it was more literal than she had thought.

Speaking trees did exist in many myths and legends, in Westernant, there was even a tale of the rhyming tree, deep in the Great Evercoln Forest who had aided many heroes of myths and legends. Was this tree one such mythical creature?

Noticing the tree looking expectantly at her, Carnatia replied, “Apologies…er...Sir? Forgive me, I am not quite sure how to address you. We did not mean to disturb you. It was merely that we saw another tree that looked identical to er…your personage…? In any case, we meant to ensure that we did not come across illusionary magic intended to make us walk around in a circle.”

She then sighed again, as she glared lightly at Gray Flame,



“Sir Gray, it was unbecoming of you to spring this on us. As I said, since you seemed to be aware of this, you should have just told us.”

"Shit! The treee! It talks!"

There were some... words of fear heard behind them, and there was Vesemir, who stood at a respectful distance with his journal at hand, utterly amazed as he recorded the conversation.

"Yeah... about that," replied the Gray Flame meekly. As he looked back at Carnathia, there was a glint in his eye, something that indicated what he did was not merely for pranking, but for an important reason he could not share.

"...Sorry?"

---

Fia watched Carnatia leave with a sideways glance. Her lips curled slightly as she returned her focus to the map. Between Carnatia and Forbann, Fia felt that she would get something from this adventure. At least the endeavor was going to be entertaining. Fia waited patiently for her time in the bath, having a chance for her clothes to properly dry before the next leg of the journey.

The next morning, clothes dry enough to travel, Fia waited as the caravan was prepared to leave again. The horses were guided from the stable to be mounted to the wagons, and the helping hands packed up what was removed for comfort within the house. Fia walked to Roxas as she offered her bag, placing her hands upon the elf’s. Fia told Roxas that it was okay, that no one suspected her of such, and there was no need to go so far. At the same time, Fia noticed that Carnatia went up the stairs some time after Roxas descended.

For the couple days they traveled from the abandoned homestead, Fia rode with the others in the wagons, watching as the prairies turned into woods. The lingering clouds from the storm still floating in the air, white and fluffy. The air tasted clean as the smell of the fallen rain wafted through Fia’s nose. Her eyes were closed as Roxas played the flute. It looked like the elf’s mood shifted since that night, seeming much more calm and pleased with herself. If not the flute, then it was whittling away at some scraps of wood. Fia graciously accepted a one to one likeness of her hairpin.

“Thank you, darling. It’s lovely.” Fia tucked the charm away in her bag, careful not to put it somewhere it could not be broken. Fia returned to admiring the scenery and she spoke with Forbann about this and that. Mainly focusing on him as he walked next to the cart the few times he wasn’t riding.

As the hours passed, Fia noticed the roads were surprisingly well maintained. She would have expected some erosion or decay after so many years. Actually, she would have expected them to have been eroded beyond use. Even if there were small expeditions inside the lands of twilight, sanctioned or otherwise, there was no one really capable of maintaining them for so long. It was small, but it helped convey some of the mystery the twilight lands could contain.

Nearing dusk the group had finally slowed to a stop. They were prepared to make camp when their patron Vesemir was excited to continue onto the first ruined city not that much farther. Fia spent most of the time relaxing in the wagon, if not napping in it so she was ready to go further despite some questions from the others. She stayed with the others as Carnatia and Gray went off on their own to investigate the trees. To be honest, Fia barely minded the trees themselves, keeping her attention with Forbann, or listening to Roxas’ flute.

It was only a matter of time. In the land barely more than a day, and the group found something marvelous. The tree Carnatia was examining turned out to be sentient. It wasn’t a tree, and it wasn’t an elf in disguise. It was something genuinely mythical. Fia got up and swiftly made her way over as soon as it became known to some of the others Carnatia’s discovery.

“Oh. How lovely.” said Fia as her eyes gazed over every inch of the speaking tree, “I’ve heard of the ents, but was never able to find one. A create so in tune with the forest, can guide people with their roots. Helped lead the evacuation leaving the land free from further influence from the elves.” Fia walked closer, even resting her hand upon the bark of the tree, “Would it be possible for me to have some of your bark? Perhaps even a vial of sap?” Fia continued to fawn over the tree, wishing to harvest different parts of it short of cutting it down.

---

The rest of the night was spent peacefully with a meal and a good if not short night sleep. He was among the first up, and among the first to be preparing breakfast for everyone. Then as the crew began to depart, he was asked by Carnatia if he was willing to carry with him the two blades they found in the house. They were willing to keep and wrangle with the ownership of these items, it seemed. Up to them he supposed. That's not something he was going to mess with. He was the group's baggage train helping with logistics, and that is what he would remain for today. The extra two swords weren't that much to lug around, and he gets to play with the new toys, so it was a win-win to him.

The long day ahead of him was spent on the road, on foot, through the tranquil roads that were surprisingly well-maintained for a land known for their dangers. Maybe they had yet to actually dive that deep into the land yet, and there were some semblance of civilization taking control here, or it was the Twilight Land magic as he would like to call it, Tillius didn't know. But it was much better than hills, cliffs or even worse, marshes, where caravans and horses could get bogged down.

By dusk, the group decided to make camp for the night, as nothing special, while Vesemir decided to go to the ruin the same night. Tillius had mostly been away helping to chop wood, start fire and make the camp, but upon hearing it he wasn't exactly too eager. His long march was a little tiring. Still, he had been through worse. Best to not expend his energy any further, to the discouragement of the camp builders, as he came over to the camp leaders instead.

"I think fatigue is the bigger concern." Tillius joined in the conversation with Engelbert, Vesemir and Roxas. "We've been on the road the whole day, then followed by a night time march, and the exploration, not to mention potential fights as we're in it deep. Are you certain it's going to be fine doing this?"

He was a lot more skeptical than he let himself appear as, hoping that this eccentric elf knew what he was doing.

@Mas Bagus@A5G@Visyn

Watanabe Takumi kept him busy on bath preparation until the last first using the bathroom. During dinner he helped for the preparation of the food for the whole party except that elf healer. After it, the man on the kimono began cleaning the whole house with a permission of the house guardian even barging at the elven's medical reviewing, there is no stopping the train of the clean freak. Lastly, he went scanning at the rest of the night of the whole area of the house with a stationary sensing in meditation posture.

In the morning, he helped the orcish ex-soldier for the food and departed with the team not changing his attire as remain with a black kimono.

The elven gave him a wrong variant of his blade. It was a katana rather a ninjato since it has slight curved blade part. Despite of that, he grabbed some papers and gave her skillfully made origami.

He been seen kept tagging along with a party, kept scanning even at the campsite with a full guarded.

In the current situation, the man with a kimono was still full guarded despite with a both closed sleeved of his kimono and kept his ninjato sheathed at his back. He wouldn't attack but would dodge an incoming attack even the unexpected one thanks to ki sensing that is on active.

"Injuries can either be taken care of with bandages and salves, or minor healing; as long as it is not needed frequently. I am knowledgeable in taking care of wounds without mana. For clarification on the charms I've given you, they will allow you to enter my barrier if you are not already within it. Do not lose them; I will only make you one other if so. Do no let them be taken from you, anyone who has them will be granted entry." She then went quiet, looking to Carnatia and Gray as they examined a tree for possible illusions or something more nefarious.

Vesemir looked very delighted, not only because of Roxas's profession of her capability but also because she had gifted the eccentric elf a mini cane that he now had kept secured on his belt.

---

“Oh. How lovely.” said Fia as her eyes gazed over every inch of the speaking tree, “I’ve heard of the ents, but was never able to find one. A create so in tune with the forest, can guide people with their roots. Helped lead the evacuation leaving the land free from further influence from the elves.” Fia walked closer, even resting her hand upon the bark of the tree, “Would it be possible for me to have some of your bark? Perhaps even a vial of sap?” Fia continued to fawn over the tree, wishing to harvest different parts of it short of cutting it down.

@Randomness
The giant tree hummed as he shifted his ember eyes on Fia. "A curious she-human, hmm, curious indeed, with a wish. Not the kind of folk that would take no for an answer, even in front of great peril. But fret not, neither perilous is your wish, nor bothersome. Hmm... hmm, you can have some of my hides if you want, and saps... saps? hmm hmm, we from the chestnut family do not bleed much, but you can try."

The ent's great trunk looked like it would twist when he returned to Gray Flame, and Roxas, who sat quite far away from them, speaking with Vesemir.

However, his manner of speech had become slower as the sun set deeper into the horizon

"And Grey one. Hrumm... The Malá don't usually go into Rhovan ar-lúrëa just for woods and tree-tears, nor to lull this old one with a beautiful tune, so it has to be... Lasse... or The Fortress, where the Retainer resides. This one will not...pry, but keep an eye on those troubles clad in black... intrusive fellows they are, my brethren says. Still, This part of the wood is saaffe, just don't listen to the whispers."

The ent, without any further prompting, closed his eyes. The hum ceased, and his facial feature faintly merged into the rough bark and remained unmoving.

Leaving Fia to do her things, the Gray Flame returned to Vesemir, who seemed to have refocused his attention back on the mission again.

"I think fatigue is the bigger concern." Tillius joined in the conversation with Engelbert, Vesemir and Roxas. "We've been on the road the whole day, then followed by a night time march, and the exploration, not to mention potential fights as we're in it deep. Are you certain it's going to be fine doing this?"

@Conscripts
It was Tillius, the orc gentleman from Westernant who brought up his concerns, which to be fair, was quite valid.

"It was the phantom." The Gray Fame, said, repeating his previous answer. He was quite perplexed that Vesemir did not elaborate it further, but well, it appeared the conversation with the Ent was such an irresistible downtime for a scholar like him.

"Lasse is full of it, some said they were the ghost of those who perished here a long time ago, and some said the phenomenon was caused by accumulations of negative energy that culminated into pockets of dangerous miasma. They are easier to see during the nighttime, and that makes it easier for us to navigate through Lasse with minimal contact with it."

"Good explanation!" Said Vesemir, closing his book. "If you would allow me to add, those miasmas reach their highest level of concentration at night the beasts are afraid of it. So, Mr Tillius, it is actually safer for us to go there tonight rather than tomorrow morning."

Being a ranger and adventurer with many years of experience, Gray Flame knew it was just an embellished theory, but he decided to not dispute Vesemir. Besides, he was the boss.

"But Mr Tillius, since you brought up a good point!" Smiling, the eccentric elf paused and looked at one of his gizmos. "Now is around four in the afternoon which means we have eight hours before our exploration, more or less. I believe that's plenty of time for us to get enough rest and prepare. Don't you agree?"

Leaving the monocled elf to convince the other about the soundness of his schedule, the Gray Flame approached Roxas. The moment when the elven healer presented her gift to him was not the best, so he did not thank her properly yet.

"Miss Roxas," he said, politely. Keeping that small talisman with the shape of his porcelain mask on his palm. The elven woman had some peculiarities in her way of socializing, but Gray Flame knew her heart was in the right place. "I have yet to thank you for your thoughtful gift, I will cherish this present. And as a fellow adventurer from Adventurer's Guild, your gift is a perfect reminder of why we should always have each other back. Again, I thank you."
@Visyn

Engelbert listened, looking down at the freshly carved flower secured with a knot to his left wrist. A pair of flaming blue glow lit within the visor slit, confirming that there's indeed some very faint trace of magic in the little flower. So it's not just some random gift.

Quaint.

"I see. That was very thoughtful of you, Lady Roxas. Thank you, and I apologize if my first impression came off as less than pleasant. Our party is certainly much better prepared than I'd expect." The glow faded, the knight returning his attention to the few that went to chekc the tree. And what did he knew, it talked! Should be unsurprising, if there's a sentient tree somewhere in the world it'll most likely be found in this forest. So, the other at the entrance was another ent? A scholar may be curious enough to figure out why they're identical, but for Engelbert it's sufficient that he could tell the difference. Just to avoid them, of course. He wasn't sure how big of a difference these ents were to the waldschrat native to the woodlands of his old home, but it likely was equally hard to put down and he'd rather not do that if given the choice.

As the group regathered after the small ent interlude, Tillius brought up another valid concern for the night march. More valid to some than others, but still a good concern. In response to that it turned out they're not to set out immediately, taking their time to depart around midnight instead. That should be enough rest for those who need it. Coupled to some more fun, totally-not-horrific facts about their destination, it certainly sounds more and more appealing to depart at night.

"All things considered, I have to agree that night march is likely our best options." He hedged, jolly but with a hint of finality in his tone. "We just have to step more carefully then! It would be embarrasing if we get more injuries from sprawling roots than the phantoms that populate the city ruin, yes?"

@Visyn @Conscripts @Mas Bagus

---

"Yeah... about that," replied the Gray Flame meekly. As he looked back at Carnathia, there was a glint in his eye, something that indicated what he did was not merely for pranking, but for an important reason he could not share.

"...Sorry?"

"Sorry does not quite cut it, Sir Gray. What would you have done had one of us attacked the..."

Sir Tree? No, was it Ent? Fia did call the tree by that mythological name for talking trees in legends, and the tree did not correct her, so Carnatia supposed that was an acceptable form of address for the tree.

She continued, "...Ent? It does not seem prudent for us to provoke an entirely avoidable fight."

Still, she supposed there was no use to make too much of a fuss about it now. She sighed, as she sheathed her rapier back, "I suppose what is done is done. But please, I implore you to be more forthcoming next time."

Carnatia then watched as Gray Flame joined Vesemir, Engelbert, and Tillius. The quartet discussed the mission, with Gray Flame explaining why the group would head towards the ruins at night. Apparently, it was so they could see the miasma of negative energy better, and hence, avoid it better. Vesemir then suggested for the group to rest until midnight, where they would make for the Ruins of Lasse. Carnatia thought that was sensitive enough, although...now that they had gone ahead and woke the Ent up, perhaps gathering some information would be prudent.

She walked over to the Ent, joining Fia, "I do not mean to intrude, Lady Fia, but I have some things that I would like to ask Sir Ent here."

She then turned to the Ent, "Pardon me, Sir Ent? If you would be so kind, may I inquire some things of you? We plan to head to the Ruins of Lasse, is there anything you could tell us about it? For instance, what should we expect to find there, perhaps any dangers we should do our best to avoid? Or any notable sites between here and there."

@Mas Bagus@Randomness

---

Fia eyes lit up when the ent didn’t object to Fia’s request. Remover her knife, Fia went to work carving off bits of bark. No guarantee any of the materials she was gathering would do anything in her alchemy, but there was only one way to find out. She was so engrossed in what she was doing, she barely payed any attention to Carnatia or Gray as they continued to speak. The bark, and seeds were easy to collect. But if anything contained the power of such a entity would be it’s blood. Or in the case of the tree, sap. It was getting darker, and canopy of the forest continuously blocked the sun, but Fia knew it would still be hours before it became truly dark. She was not worried about time.

After a short time, Carnatia returned to the tree. Fia was behind it at the time, slowly carving out a means of pulling sap. It was the last thing she was collecting, so as it slowly budded at the surface of the tree, Fia noticed Carnatia’s return. Fia stood up from where she was kneeling, dusting off her knees and the front of her dress.

“I guess it was wishful thinking to hope you came to see me.” said Fia with a smile. She walked around the tree to meet Carnatia. “I’m just waiting for now for the sap to become thick enough to collect. It sounded tired before, so I don’t know if you can get it to answer, but I would love to listen to it speak again.” Fia could only guess that Carnatia was going to speak with the ent again. What and why she couldn’t guess, but Fia was truthful in wanting to hear it speak. Fia listened as Carnatia asked the tree the questions. Beyond the supposed phantom, Fia didn’t know what could be waiting for them within the city. Those were some pretty valid questions, and given the supposed reach the ents had from among the roots of the forest, seemed very likely to know. Assuming the ent would awaken again to answer.

“Perhaps you could explain this phantom.” added Fia to the end of Carnatia’s questions. Fia did’t hear the explanations from Vesemir or Gray Flame. And since Carnatia was here asking the ent, Fia imagined that not much useful was said when she went back to the other earlier, either.

She then turned to the Ent, "Pardon me, Sir Ent? If you would be so kind, may I inquire some things of you? We plan to head to the Ruins of Lasse, is there anything you could tell us about it? For instance, what should we expect to find there, perhaps any dangers we should do our best to avoid? Or any notable sites between here and there."

“Perhaps you could explain this phantom.” added Fia to the end of Carnatia’s questions. Fia did’t hear the explanations from Vesemir or Gray Flame. And since Carnatia was here asking the ent, Fia imagined that not much useful was said when she went back to the other earlier, either.

The great tree remained still, and his face had already disappeared under the shadow of its eaves. Only the raven they saw earlier answered the question with a distinctive caw as it perched on one of the tree's branches.

Meanwhile, at Vesemir's group

"All things considered, I have to agree that night march is likely our best options." Engelbert hedged, jolly but with a hint of finality in his tone. "We just have to step more carefully then! It would be embarrasing if we get more injuries from sprawling roots than the phantoms that populate the city ruin, yes?"

"Yes indeed." Vesemir quickly answered. "But I have a solution for that. I might not be much of a mage like Lady Fia, but I can use my power to keep the darkness at bay. Besides, we have no shortage of illuminating devices."

He gestured toward a slightly larger lantern with an iron frame next to the map.

"So, any more concerns? Don't be shy with me, we are in this together, and I would like to hear all inputs from my friends."

Rezello

---

"I did hear what had happened to the city of Scheel yes, though as you did not bring it up yourself, I suppose it's neither here nor there. Regardless, I recognised your armour, it's gladdening to have a knight of the famous Sten Corps with us for this expedition."

At least one member of the party knew of Scheel, it seemed. Her comment about the "famous" Sten Corps came as a bit of a surprise to Rezello; he wasn't aware they had such a reputation, though given most of his time in Westernant outside of Scheel was spent traveling across the untamed frontier and the bulk of his adventuring years in Varenheim, perhaps it was one limited to the parts of Westernant he hadn't visited.

The foreign swordsman was the last to introduce himself, having at some point changed from his ragged travel clothes and half-mask into an ornate black article of clothing, a style of robe Rezello was unfamiliar with. He spoke of things and in terms equally unknown, but if he was even half as capable as he claimed to be in the parts that Rezello did understand, his versatility would no doubt prove invaluable.

Meanwhile, Tillius had gone upstairs to check on Roxas and Vesemir. Truly, he was the bravest among them. Given that he didn't immediately return, Rezello figured that he was either handling the situation well, or had already been struck down for his efforts. Whatever his fate may have been, the topic of the trinkets soon came up again. Vesemir emerged from the stairs shortly after, suggesting that it was only right for them to take them... and leaving a substantial-looking sack of coins atop the mantlepiece as a form of payment. As much as not taking freely available magic items seemed a waste, none of them were of particular use to Rezello so he decided to leave the dilemma to those that would actually get something out of them.

With that matter seemingly settled for the moment, the others still downstairs had begun discussing bathing orders - with some overlap in the turns being suggested by their newest member. If light could pass through the gaps in Rezello's mask, the edges of a slight smile might have been visible in response to the reactions - or lack thereof, in Forbann's case - of her proposed partners. Adventurers were as varied as they come, but such interactions - made in jest or otherwise - seemed almost inevitable whenever substantial enough parties formed. Perhaps not always so quickly, though.

While those conversations were happening, Vesemir had unfurled a large map on the table in the middle of the room. Announcing a detour, he pointed out some eastward ruins that they would be passing through before continuing on their way to Nuria.

The ruins of Lasse? I... interesting.

Interesting? How?

It's... well, nevermind it for now. Do your thing, plunder ruins, I'll tell you if it becomes... relevant.

As quickly as it had emerged again, the presence of the spirit of the mask disappeared from Rezello's mind. Trying to pry more information out of it would be useless - he had tried plenty of times in the past, and nothing he could do could compel it to speak to him if it did not intend to.

With their plans for the morrow established, Engelbert set out to procure them a meal. After a surprisngly short time of waiting - briefly interrupted by the discovery of kitchen rot and relocation of meal preparation - the great Chef-Knight, Vanquisher of the Vegetable Vanguard and Bane of the Beef Brigade, returned with the spoils of war: stew and hardtack. Perhaps a simpler meal in a more civilized setting, but compared to typical travel rations it might as well have been indulging in a banquet. The lower half of Rezello's mask moved with his jaw as he ate, allowing him to do so unimpeded without removing it. Despite the increased size in the gaps while doing so, which should have allowed at least some light in, the lower half of Rezello's face remained fully obscured in shadow, stew and hardtack seemingly disappearing into a black void.

As Gray Flame pointed out the firewood in the kitchen, he nodded in thanks; though his flame did not require a substantial amount of magic energy to continue burning, it did require him to remain conscious. Taking a few pieces of firewood, he set them within the cyan flame before holding out an open palm towards it. With a twist of his hand, the flame turned white, the previously pristine chunks of wood now starting to char as the flame gained the property of ignition; closing his palm, he extinguished its magic, the white flames flickering out of existence as they left behind an ordinary, mundane wood fire. Finding a place near the fireplace to sleep, Rezello removed his armor, stacking it in a pile nearby.

---

In the morning, Rezello awoke as breakfast was ready; donning his half-plate and brigandine once more, he quickly ate before climbing onto one of the available wagons, watching the path ahead of them as they continued on their journey. The next day or so was mostly uneventful, save the wood carving that Roxas gifted him - a charm for her shielding spell, apparently, carved in the same shape as the pendant he wore.

Soon enough, they reached what must have been the true border of the Twilight Lands, a thick wall of woodland pierced only by the road they traveled on, which despite everything was in good condition. Maintained by some sort of magic, surely; any mundane construction would have been engulfed by the surrounding vegetation after seventeen centuries of neglect. The caravan continued on until their horses could progress no further, moving to take one final stop in a nearby glade before they reached the ruins of Lasse.

As Rezello took in their surroundings, a particular chestnut tree caught his attention; he could've sworn he had seen the same tree earlier, though given the caravan had been following a road with neither loops nor forks he reasoned it must have been his imagination. Before he thought too much on it, however, Vesemir announced his intent to journey into the nearby ruins that night. While nighttime excursions were hardly a rarity among adventurers, it was usually for the purpose of infiltration, theft, or other such things requiring stealth. Exploring ancient ruins was not typically among that set of actions. Engelbert was the first to express confusion, with Gray Flame providing an answer that ultimately raised more questions than it had settled.

As if to provide a distraction from "the Phantom", Carnatia raised the question of the unusual tree. Gray Flame seemed all too eager to provide an explanation for that question and pointed out that it was not a case of illusionary magic, with Fia joining in on observing the tree. He had Carnatia repeat some sort of incantation, which upon doing so revealed the tree's true nature as an Ent. While Carnatia and Fia itneracted with it, Gray Flame returned to Vesemir's side, elaborating further on the Phantom that he had mentioned before. Creatures more visible at night, infesting the ruins. Given the way he talked about avoiding them, likely not something they would survive a hostile confrontation with unscathed.

---

“I guess it was wishful thinking to hope you came to see me.” said Fia with a smile. She walked around the tree to meet Carnatia. “I’m just waiting for now for the sap to become thick enough to collect. It sounded tired before, so I don’t know if you can get it to answer, but I would love to listen to it speak again.”

Carnatia sighed, as she asked rhetorically, "I would not live down the bathing debacle, would I?". Her brief moment of vulnerability from having been caught off guard would follow her for the rest of this expedition, it seemed...unfortunately. Also, further misfortune was that Fia turned out to be correct and that the Ent did not speak again, leaving Carnatia no answer to her query. Not being an expert on talking trees, Carnatia gave up, walking back to the rest of the group.

"So, any more concerns? Don't be shy with me, we are in this together, and I would like to hear all inputs from my friends."

Carnatia turned to Gray Flame, "I attempted to inquire the Ent on the Ruins of Lasse, to no avail. Unfortunately it...he? has returned to slumber. As our guide, anything else do we know about the Ruins of Lasse? What was it originally? And what else we might expect aside from the phantoms and miasma you've mentioned?"

Her lips then quirked into a thin smile,



"After all we do not want further 'surprise' now do we, Sir Gray?"

@Randomness@Mas Bagus

The Gray Flame suddenly found himself in another finicky situation when he had to explain again something he had elaborated on earlier.

"I attempted to inquire the Ent on the Ruins of Lasse, to no avail. Unfortunately it...he? has returned to slumber. As our guide, anything else do we know about the Ruins of Lasse? What was it originally? And what else we might expect aside from the phantoms and miasma you've mentioned?"

"After all we do not want further 'surprise' now do we, Sir Gray?"

He answered the Carnathia’s smile with a nod, and after sighing exasperatedly, he added.

"Lasse was one of the major cities during Serensiel's regime. It was attacked and had almost all of its entire population massacred. Such gruesome tragedy has left the city scarred, and infested with negative energy from those who perished. We just discussed how to navigate through the city without disturbing those manifested energies." sparing a glance at Vesemir, who seemed as if he was waiting for his turn to speak, he continued.

"As for what next, I do not really know."

Vesemir at last broke in, with a waning fire in his eyes, as if acknowledging the sad story with a keen eagerness.

"We are looking for the Lasse Library. A long time ago, a powerful mage named Theriadore lived there and created a powerful protection artifact that could help us combat the Land of Twilight's negative energy. There was a chance, true, that the place might have been discovered at some point, or worse, pillaged by irresponsible adventures, but my instinct tells me they only managed to find the key, and not the access to the vault itself, for the access of it was well hidden with a powerful enchantment."

Pausing to take a breath, The middle-aged elf showed everyone a pentagon-shaped brass device with runic letters on its sides.

"How do I know that? I've lived long, long enough, and coincidences felt like daily occurrences to me. I am an archeologist, my dear, and my calling is to find curious findings, whether they were in entombed ruins, or a black market."

____

And so, after some rest and another hearty dinner, courtesy of Mr Engelbert, the party was ready to depart. before the exploration began, it was decided that the porters, and Vesemir's most trusted aide, Stepen would remain at their base camp.

"Have your wits about you all the time, and if you want to sleep, keep the campfire lit." Gray Flame warned, and some of them replied with shallow yes and doubtful stares that were not only at him, but at the great chestnut tree by the north of the camp.

It was a chilly and calm night, with a waxing moon shining above the completely silent forest. They initially marched on the main road until they reached a crossroad, and then turned to take another well-paved path slightly to the northeast.

Their boss, Vesemir, walked in front, carrying a large lantern, and with him went Gray Flame, who seemed to know this land even in the dark. The others were in file behind, and Forban, who was tall and could observe many things, was their rearguard.

It was mostly a quiet march until they finally arrived at the sight of a ruined civilization. A broken archway was ahead of them, and beyond that, dim in perpetual darkness, were more ruins with vague shapes they could not discern, either part of the building or something else; something that moved and lingered.

"My heart trembles whenever I remember the record about Lasse," Vesemir said without looking back, stopping after they walked past that archway. There, he raised his lantern and whispered words of magic into it, and lo! What was a faint light from a meager flame suddenly grew into a glimmering light that illuminated the road, revealing the ruined houses and spires around and the very large tree ahead of them.

As the party moved with their light, the darkness retreated like a tide being swept back into the ocean, leaving numerous black silhouettes resembling people with a variety of poses and conditions. Like dioramas that partially came to life, and one could hear them scream faintly, or weep, or whimper in agony. Here their hands reached out, and their voice called for help, as if trying to share the anguish that had been oppressing them for so long.

Their employer did not stop, so Gray Flame warned the rest of the party with a low, but stern voice. “Follow the white light, do not touch the phantom, and don’t stare too much at them.”

“Indeed,” Vesemir added suddenly, reciting part of the old proverb like some sort of omen. “If thou gaze long into the darkness, the darkness will also gaze back into thee.”

And with that, he walked forward, followed by Gray Flame, who despite his experience and outward composure, was flinched by the revelation before them. There, on that tree’s lowest branches, hanged a few bodies of women and children, some were not mere shadows anymore but already in a form of perfect imitation of a person; tattered clothes shrouded their mangled bodies, eyes bulging and tongue outstretched, yet still writhing as if trying to set themselves free.


“All the peace we enjoy...,” Vesemir began solemnly, but then he spat in disgust. "Was paid with too many blood and sufferings---"

Then the remainder of what he said suddenly heard like a distant echo, and those who gazed upon the phantom of the deceased suddenly saw a blinding flash of white light that revealed chaos and bloodshed. As they opened their eyes again, they saw that the houses were on fire, and their smell was suddenly assaulted by the repulsive scent of burning flesh. Blood streamed from that tree like a small river, and dead bodies adorned its branches, fitted, tied on nooses, or outright impaled through, like a bloody diadem upon a twisted head. Then there was cruel laughter, five men stood under those bloody branches like people adoring a work of art.

They wore uniforms with insignia on their breasts and shoulders; A yellow sun on a black shield flanked by twin prancing horses. On their feet was the corpse of an elven man, lay unmoving with his head split open and a whole apple stuffed into his mouth. Not far from it was a female, tied to the trees, frantically screaming and clawing about as one of the soldiers sunk his teeth into the skin of her flawless neck, and pushed a dagger through her clothless abdomen.

To those with the keenest sense, it was apparent that what they saw was just an illusion from the past, yet the gruesomeness it displayed was so real, so inviting as if deliberately urging those who witnessed the atrocity to spring into action and do the right thing

Gray Flame and Vsemir were gone, but the faint whispering from that eccentric elf could still be heard. But it was starting to fade amids the cries and horror. Now was the moment when they remembered the masked elf's advice to follow the light, and they saw it, ever-present at the end of the road. The thing was, the only way to reach it was by rushing past those butcher-soldiers.

---

"We are looking for the Lasse Library. A long time ago, a powerful mage named Theriadore lived there and created a powerful protection artifact that could help us combat the Land of Twilight's negative energy. There was a chance, true, that the place might have been discovered at some point, or worse, pillaged by irresponsible adventures, but my instinct tells me they only managed to find the key, and not the access to the vault itself, for the access of it was well hidden with a powerful enchantment."

Pausing to take a breath, The middle-aged elf showed everyone a pentagon-shaped brass device with runic letters on its sides.

"How do I know that? I've lived long, long enough, and coincidences felt like daily occurrences to me. I am an archeologist, my dear, and my calling is to find curious findings, whether they were in entombed ruins, or a black market."

A vault...Carnatia would be interested in taking a look at it. After all, with her Golden Prerogative skill, she might chanced upon valuables or other items that would be of interest to her. Unlike the case in the house, ruins were considered abandoned sites with no legal owners, meaning 'finders keepers' do apply here, so it would be less of a hassle to legally claim ownership of any items of interest. Though, of course, as an archaeologist, Vesemir might be inclined to keep them for study or museum exhibits. But she would cross that bridge when the time came. It wasn't even guaranteed that she would find anything, after all. And for now, far more important to focus on actually reaching the vault safely. After all, this was the Land of Twilight the notorious place where many adventurers met their end or returned forever changed.

And with that, Carnatia excused herself and returned to her tent, doing some maintenance on her rapier before getting some rest.

---

As night came, the group embarked on their journey to the Ruins of Lasse. In the cold and damp night air of the forest, Carnatia had half a mind to use her magic to light a fire for some extra heat, before thinking better of it, opting to conserve mana. Instead, she pulled the fur coat she had brought closer to her body. It was an expensive one, and certainly, it did provide adequate warmth, but...well, Carnatia had wanted to buy the really expensive ones, enchanted with magic, or perhaps with some of those Republican-made clothing with portable heat pads integrated. Perhaps after the expedition.

Eventually, after walking through the forest trail, they arrived at their destination, the Ruins of Lasse.

Their employer did not stop, so Gray Flame warned the rest of the party with a low, but stern voice. “Follow the white light, do not touch the phantom, and don’t stare too much at them.”

“Indeed,” Vesemir added suddenly, reciting part of the old proverb like some sort of omen. “If thou gaze long into the darkness, the darkness will also gaze back into thee.”

'So these are the phantoms they were talking about,' Carnatia thought.

Carnatia remembered Gray Flame explaining that the phantoms were thought to be the ghosts of people who perished long ago or simply the coalescence of the negative energy in the form of peculiar pockets of dense miasma. Either way, they were the result of the war 1700 years ago that was waged here. The war where the tyrannical Serensiel was brought to justice and the elves were humbled, led to the now-prosperous relations between nations, as humanity ended Serensiel's rule of terror and forced the elves to acknowledge their folly and helped them move forward

...Or so the history was told in Westernant. In Varenheim, Carnatia was sure that the prevalent historical accounts were less black and white. Nevertheless, Varenheim notwithstanding, the consensus was that Serensiel was a tyrannical queen and the war was regrettable but necessary. It was a story of the forces of good triumphing over evil or at the very least the lesser evil checking the great terror that was Serensiel. History was written by the victor, after all, and for good or ill, Serensiel was not the victor.

Faintly, Carnatia could hear their screams of anguish, as the faint shadows reached out to them. Never directly touching, but close enough to almost divert her attention towards them.

It was at that moment that some horrific images flashed briefly through her head. Images of a massacre, of flames engulfing buildings and burning people alive, of dead bodies littering the street. A form of premonition, a warning of dangers that would befall her, perceived through arcane divination as part of her Prescient Defense skill. At that moment Carnatia understood, that these were the illusions that would consume her mind should she allow the phantoms to take too much of her attention.

Heeding the advice of Gray Flame and Vesemir, Carnatia focused her attention on the light, doing her best to ignore the translucent black writhing mass vaguely resembling the shapes of people all around them.

Still, it was easier said than done. Fortunately, honing her mind into one singular focus was something that Master Tokimune had taught her. A 'Zen Meditation' he had called it. She typically employed it in combat to hone her mind into focusing on a singular vital spot of her opponent, but here, she applied it to focus on the light of Vesermir's lantern. The phantoms' existence, meanwhile, she treated as excess that would be discarded as she delved into the zen state.

Doing her best to ignore the phantoms, Carnatia kept her attention focused on the light of Vesemir's lantern, hoping to avoid being captured in their illusory trap. And so, she trudged forward.

@Mas Bagus

---

With the goal of Lasse Library now in everyone's mind; one that seemed to make Roxas curious. Perhaps she could find some things she's been wanting to.. The team set out. Thankfully, it seemed they had fallen in a more singular line, to avoid being touched by the black shadows and masses trying to reach them and plead for their lives.

It was definitely unsettling for Roxas. As someone who only ever wanted to help someone, she felt pity for the souls stuck; if they could even be called souls anymore. With the warning from both the Boss and Gray Flame, it was a little.. concerning. It seemed for not for Roxas though. She saw the flashes of the illusion in her mind, so much to cause her to stumble a little, nearly tripping on the slight rubble that had gotten on the path. Finding her footing was easy. Whoever was behind her would bump into her as she stopped straight in her tracks.

Her eyes widened with the realization that.. The illusion had grabbed at her mind and now she was stuck staring at the five men who very likely had just killed that elven man. She could feel her blood run cold at the thought. Her hand already moved to grab at her bow, the other grabbing an arrow from her quiver to notch.