Chapter 8

"Hey, Sora, how are you feeling?" Keira asked as she brushed her horse's hair. "I know you've had a tough run lately with all the demon activity, but thank you for always being reliable."

"If only the masses saw this side of you," Rui said, approaching her in the stables.

"Isn't it best not to break the illusion?"

"I thought you hated that nickname."

"I do, but it gives people hope, so it doesn't matter."

Rui sighed and shrugged. "Anyway, the king has summoned us."

"Oh?" I thought he got it out of his system last night. Unless something more has happened. She glanced at the sky, checking for the light from a seal breaking.

"There hasn't been a word of another seal breaking yet, so it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Keira fed Sora a carrot. "Rest up while you can, girl." She kissed her cheek and turned to Rui.

Rui held his hands up. "I have no idea. I was told to call you into the throne room."

"Throne room?" He's serious... This can't be good.

"Yup. I guess he's brainstormed a plan, and of course, we'll be in the middle of it." Rui held his arm out for her to take, and she walked past him. "You know, you could at least humour me sometimes."

"I do when we're forced to go to those dances. Outside of that, I know my way around better than you do."

"Oh well. Try to be a gentleman, and it blows up in my face as usual."

"Quit complaining and get moving."

"Yes, ma'am."

---

As Keira and Rui entered the throne room, they couldn't help but notice three other people already standing before the king.

He sat on his red velvet throne, leaning on his hand, lost in thought.

Keira recognized the man in the green cloak right away. Aki? A lady who rarely showed herself, standing beside him with long blonde hair, wearing a grass-green dress. Fiona... Crap. Wait, who's that? Keira glanced at the woman beside her with shoulder-length brown hair and grey eyes, wearing a blue cloak.

Once they reached the throne, they both bowed.

"Thank you for coming, Keira and Rui," Shun greeted them. "I'm sure you both know Hanazawa Akihiro and Takuni Fiona." He gestured towards them, and they bowed their heads. "And this over here is Ito Aria."

Aria turned to them and bowed.

"Ito?" Keira froze, staring into Aria's grey eyes. "As... as in...?" It must be. They have the same eyes.

"As in the same family as Wakaru?" Rui asked, gripping Keira's shoulder.

"How astute." Aria smirked. "Wakaru is my brother—I'm sorry, was my brother."

Keira swallowed hard, her fists shaking. "I'm—"

"Don't," Rui whispered. "Not here, not now."

She glared back at him.

"It's not the time nor the place."

Gah, I hate it when he's right. Keira cleared her throat and took a deep breath to compose herself. "It's nice to meet you." She bowed to her.

"Same," Aria said.

Rui took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Pleasure to meet you." He winked at her. "I knew Wakaru had a younger sister, but I didn't know you'd be so cute."

"Sure..." She pulled her hand away, her cheek twitching. "My brother spoke of you two as well. What grand heroes you two always were. Always throwing yourselves into fights to save people. It's a shame you couldn't save him."

Keira winced. I know... She swallowed hard, her eyes shaking as she stared at Aria. "He actually died saving me..."

Aria's eyes narrowed. "I know."

"But that doesn't mean it was her fault." Rui stood between them.

Her gaze flicked up to his. "Sure, but she was still supposed to protect others, and my brother was supposed to support you two, not take the blow." She turned away from them, back to the king.

Rui frowned, gritting his teeth as he held his tongue.

Shun cleared his throat and stood from his throne. "Are we going to have an issue? Do I need to find another person proficient in water magic for this important quest?"

"No." Aria bowed her head. "There won't be an issue. Like my brother, I will support those meant to protect everyone as best I can, and I will help on our mission to figure out how to strengthen the seals."

"Strengthen the seals?" Keira's head perked up. "How are we going to figure that out?" Unless he's planning to sacrifice us... Wait, does he expect these three to join us on a journey? Oh no... Her jaw tensed.

"Since our records aren't trustworthy enough and don't give enough detail, we're going to start by travelling to the original seal in Tanten Kingdom," King Shun explained.

"So we don't have a real idea yet?" Rui asked. "Surely there must be some clues in the royal tomes."

"Hints, but no actual instructions. We're hoping the site of the first seal holds the answers."

"That's something, I guess," Keira sighed. But I doubt he has much of a plan, other than sending me off with a team. Let's hope they know how to strengthen the seal without taking lives. "If we're just going for information, surely Rui and I are enough."

"No." Shun shook his head. "The royal tome hinted at different elements being at play in the seals. Even if you figure out how to strengthen the one there, it may not be with your power, Keira."

She gritted her teeth, shoulders heaving. Why do we have to put more people in danger? "Wouldn't it be—"

"No, Keira."

"But I thought Fiona never left the kingdom? Heck, she hardly leaves the palace because her powers are so important for keeping the kingdom safe."

"I am aware of that, but she is our top wind magic user, and not only will she sense enemies for you—"

"I'm quite adept at that myself."

"Not at the same scope. As I was saying." Shun cleared his throat. "You need the most skilled magic users with a variety of elements to have a chance to succeed."

"Pretty sure we don't have all the elements covered, and doesn't Aki use fire like Rui does?" Keira asked.

"Ah, it may look like fire, but the elemental root of his magic tested as nature."

"So you're saying he's our strongest nature elementalist?" Keira glanced at him.

Aki nodded to her, gripping his hands in front of him as he tried to smile. "Nature magic users are rare, especially in these parts, so I suppose I don't have much competition..."

"Now, now, you don't need to be so humble. Your magic is quite powerful—"

"If you have time to wait for it to heal you," Aria scoffed. "Have you mastered controlling plants? What good is a nature mage if they can't use the trees to help us fight?"

Aki swallowed hard. "I'm more for support than actual fighting—"

"All elements can be used to fight. If you can't do that, then it's a failure on your part."

Aki's shoulders slouched as he stared at the stone floor.

"That's going too far," Keira said. "You don't know the circumstances, or how his magic works—"

"I mostly use my water magic for offense, despite its usual healing powers by nature."

"Ladies." Rui stood between them.

"Trying to shut me up doesn't change the facts."

"Ahem," Shun cleared his throat. "Fiona has already tested Akihiro's magic and found his to be on par with Keira, Rui, and Aria, despite his lack of offensive magic."

"So he's a powerhouse who doesn't know how to harness his magic? I'm not sure if that makes this all better or worse." Aria shook her head.

"Enough." Shun glared at her, and she looked away. "I need a group of heroes, not a bunch of children who bicker over everything."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty." Keira bowed to him.

"Sorry." Aria bowed.

"Okay, thank you." Shun took a deep breath. "I hope you all can get along, because I don't know if we can find another group to send on this important mission." He glanced at Fiona, who had used her wind magic to scan the area for magical signatures.

"I assure you that this group has the strongest magic in the kingdom, myself included," Fiona said, hand over her heart.

"But are you sure about sending Fiona?" Keira asked Shun. "There's a reason she normally stays in the palace."

"Don't worry; we can keep her safe." Rui slung his arm over Keira's shoulders.

Not what I was worrying about.

Shun clapped. "Okay, unless we have anything else to get out in the open, I ask you all to prepare yourselves to leave tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Majesty." They all bowed.

Hopefully, the kingdom can hold off without us...