More than a mere team

We were around in one of the hottest areas of the region, we were soaking wet, the horses had a rug up their heads, Alexander was still in his armor, as he previously said, that armor was special and it was like if he had ice inside of it.

We were constantly swiping our sweat outside and watch how the floor lift the steam from the evaporation of the sweat, we were trying to hold it as we could but it was too annoying, at the distance we couldn’t see that much, only a few cactuses and dry vegetation were around, it wasn’t a desert at a hundred percent but it was like being in one.

“How are the horses doing?”

I asked as I drank water.

“They’re getting tired… we need to find a place to rest for them”

The horses neigh but Alexander touched their neck.

“It’s okay, no one is mad at you two”

The horses still neighed.

“Come on, you two know that you are as valuable as us, we don’t want you to have a serious problem for our fault”

Elizabeth said and the horses started to shake their heads and sighed.

“I think they finally understood” —I said.

“I’m with them”

Beatrice was laying down using his hands to make a small circle that blew cold air.

“Don’t use that spell that much, you are going to get sick” —I said.

“What are you, my mom? I cannot live in this heat…”

“Someone is upset…” —Elizabeth said.

“I don’t blame her, but seriously, try to not make that air that cold, is not good”

“I understand… sorry…”

We continued ahead and when we found a giant crater going below, when Alexander took the map, he turned around and spoke.

“It’s here”

We continued for a bit going on the sides to find a rock where to rest, we followed the crater and entered a small cave where we left the carriage and Alexander started giving them water and food.

“I can take care of them, Alexander… It would be the best”

“Make sure to give them plenty of water, they've been pushing themselves too hard”

Beatrice nodded and we started to go down without Beatrice and the horses.

The path below was strange, we couldn’t see the end of it, but we were definitely going down, jumping, slips, catch, it was a rough to get down, but just when we were about to reach the end we saw it, it wasn’t that we couldn’t see the end, it’s because there wasn’t anything on it.

“What is this?”

“It is like the void itself but… can we pass through it?”

“Take my hand, Ryu”

“Eh? Alex?”

Alexander took my hand and he entered the black space, his body was nowhere to be seen, just his hand going deeper, but then he returned.

“You need to see this”

I look at Elizabeth and we nod each other, we entered the black space and we opened our eyes, there was an obelisk at the center, the place was bright like non other place, it made my eyes hurt for a bit but this place was weird, since I couldn’t see anything below me, I thought I was floating but no, it was that the floor was transparent.

I fall in my knees and touch the floor and around, just to feel that in some spaces there wasn’t anything

“Walk slowly, guys”

Every step we took was made with enough caution that it slowed us down a lot, but we managed to get into the obelisk.

“May dark and thou be one, may light, and I am the same, thou shall know about the skies and earth are one and the same”

“What?”

We were out of words thinking about the message

“The skies…”

I looked above me and noticed a weird looking piece, then I extended my hand and shot water but the water didn’t drop, it went up.

“Skies and earth are the same… Alex, throw me upwards”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded and Alexander put his hands together and I ran towards him. After I jumped, I started going to the other piece and it was another obelisk, I looked up and saw Alexander and Elizabeth but I couldn’t hear them, I looked at the obelisk and spoke.

“In memory of our comrades who fight in this place, the only space was our search for something greater was made but it was never develop, may this be a place to remember our hardest battles and our hard work, someone may use it”

This isn’t from the guy… if it was like in the past…

I looked at every part of the place but then I saw something weird, there were things written down but just part of the letters was on, I launched myself with the water after I wrote down the part of the letter and came back with the others.

Alexander caught me since the moment I entered the space going down I accelerated.

“Thanks”

I looked above and below and started writing down and got the message.

“The final piece of our investigation is here, thanks to the structure and symbols I found in this place I might have what it takes to leave this world, this journey has cause me discovered a ton of things and I am thankful for everyone that made me continue go forward”

“I thought we would find the final piece here but…”

“It seems the last location would be our last turn”

“It seems so…”

We were all silent and we left the place, when we left, we were looking at the dark sky as bright as we could, but that was off after a bit, we went up to where the horses were and we found Beatrice sleeping with them.

“They really like, Beatrice”

“They love us all, it would be the best to go now, come one guys”

Alexander got close to the horses and started to pet them, they shook their heads and started to get up as well as Beatrice.

Beatrice rubbed her eyes and she leaned on the wall.

“Did you find it?”

“No, but we have every other story, I think we can settle down what went first and at the end”

“The last will be our final destination then”

“Most likely”

We got up in the carriage after the horses were ready and we observed the notes, there were seven notes, and one final message, meaning that the final one will be between the memento and the piece we just found.

I took one paper out of my backpack and started to recite the words that were on it.

“Across the air, make my words be transmitted, follow and reach Akari!”

“Hello, Ryuzaki”

“Yes”

“I suspect you have found the location”

“Something like that, we were on the process of elimination and we have only one left, I’ll give you the location right now”

“Better save that for later, make sure that the location is what it said, I won’t be moving from here until you are a hundred percent sure”

“Listen here you piece of dirt! You have no right to talk Ryu like that” —Elizabeth shouted.

“Oh, I thought we were in a private call”

“There is no need for that”

“Very well, then I have nothing else to said, I’ll wait for your arrival”

“HEY! DON’T YOU DARE-“

Elizabeth took the paper out of my hands and the paper disintegrated, Elizabeth groaned and I took her hand.

“Is okay”

“It’s not okay, that man tricked you and made you feel that bad, I will not tolerate someone speaking at you to that tone”

“It really doesn’t matter, Elizabeth”

“It does”

“It doesn’t!”

“Then if someone speak to me like that, what would you do”

“…”

I thought for a bit of someone speaking ill of Elizabeth and my face changed.

“I’ll murder him”

“Now you get my point”

Beatrice couldn’t help but laugh and Elizabeth looked embarrassed to the sides.

“You really must love Ryu. But I am with you in this Elizabeth, if we found that guy, we at least have to make him pay for what he did to our leader”

Beatrice smirked and put her hand and fist together.

“I am not a violent person… but the things he said…”

The horses also neigh, they were upset for me and I couldn’t help but smile, I look at the one of the paper pieces, the one was it said that the person that was doing this journey was thankful for everyone helping him in this journey.

“You guys really are the best, thanks a lot… whether I decide leave or stay, I want to let you know guys, that you made me happy, and this journey, and this traveled are one of the best things that had happened to me”

I smiled, Elizabeth hugging in tears while Beatrice and Alexander just smiled with melancholy.