Always Someone Bigger

The party regrouped near the roots of the shattered elder tree. 

Surprisingly, no one was dead. Lily sat far off from the others, weeping quietly, terrified that her brother was truly gone forever.

"What now?" Zale asked, turning to Amber, who was busy chanting an area-wide healing magic to treat the wounded elves.

"I am not sure," the grand mage admitted, her voice unusually heavy.

"What I witnessed inside his soul was not a curse. It was something else entirely. We might need help from someone far stronger."

Stacy blinked, her eyes wide. "There is someone even more powerful than you, Master?"

Amber let out a soft chuckle, gently patting her apprentice's head.

"Yes, of course. I may be a grand mage, but there are beings at a much higher level. Though, whether they will grant us an audience is another matter."

"You return home after two centuries only to cause chaos, huh?"

A sharp voice cut through the clearing. A tall elf man with long, silver hair stepped out from the trees.

"Zargo!" Amber laughed, her tense posture melting away. "How are you still this grumpy after all these decades?"

As Amber stepped aside to catch up with her childhood playmate, Luck and Kara approached Lily, bringing a wooden bowl of wild fruits and forest bread.

"We will find him," Luck said firmly, resting a hand on his sword hilt.

Kara nodded aggressively, her muscles tensing. "Kara is angry! Will beat Whitey!" she declared, thrusting a heavy fist toward the sky.

Lily wiped her eyes, looking up. "But Whitey is also Toshio. Will you beat Toshio too?"

Kara froze mid-motion. Her eyes darted around in pure confusion. "Uhm… uh… no!" She went completely speechless, her shoulders slumping.

The small group shared a soft laugh. Lily offered a faint smile. "Thank you. I feel a bit better now. Let's save my brother!"

The strategy was set. The vanguard : Lily, Kara, and Luck.

They were determined to pursue Nero straight to the Capital. Meanwhile, Amber, Zale, Stacy, and Suzuki would head toward the Ancient Warground to seek an audience with Amber’s legendary master : the Fallen Goddess, Seya. If anyone could fix the distortion inside Toshio's soul, it was her.

Amber handed Lily a long-distance communication artifact. It was a unique, conch-shaped magic tool.

"Keep wearing this, and keep providing it with mana." Grand Mage Amber gave Kara an amulet to wear around her neck.

"I can't heal your curse instantly, but this amulet will be able to revert it back. Just remember to keep providing it mana occasionally." She directed that to Lily. Lily simply nodded in gratitude.

The forest elves provided the vanguard with their fastest mount assets : two Forest Deeries. The creatures were colossal, boasting sleek green coats and high intelligence parameters, making them exceptionally easy to ride.

They mounted the beasts swiftly. Kara riding one alone, while Luck handled the reins of the other one with Lily secured behind him.

They exchanged their final goodbyes.

With a powerful leap, the Deeries bolted forward, sprinting so fast they looked as if they were floating just above the mossy ground.

"May the Goddess Freya guide your path," Amber whispered, watching the riders dissolve into the deep emerald shadows of the forest.