Investigating the Link

Mythal had nearly forgotten about the cultist until he received the notice. He had been busy browsing through his daily documents when he discovered the sealed envelope, bearing the stamp of his chief investigator. After his fight with the man in Beanstalk Village, he had taken the odd book and the stranger coin to his people within the Special Operations to investigate further into it. He’d let them know the location of the cultist’s body and explained about the tattoo he had seen on the arm as well.  With it out of  his hands for the time being, he had moved onto other objectives in his life that had, arguably, more importance. Now, months later, he was surprised as he opened the letter and read the contents within.

After some in depth digging, it seemed his people had located a clue. The cultist he had stopped was apparently well known in the East Forest, just outside of Magnolia. Showing his picture around had caught the attention of an old man who had recognized his features and recounted some of the times he had observed him. He was thought to be a hermit, though there seemed to be a hut within those woods that could have been occupied by him. Either way, it was a step in the direction of finding out more about what this supposed cult was up to. He had very little hope that it was related to the Sons of Faera but who really knew? It was worth investigating.

But then there was the major byline of the day – the partnership parliament. It was still relatively new but apparently the Magic Council thought it would be best if Rune Knights worked in pairs when they went on missions. Given the absolute decimation of Era not too long ago, their numbers were still low and they couldn’t afford to lose anymore lives than they already had. His first thought was to bring Serilda with him; she was his go-to when it came to jobs after all. But given how busy she was lately, he decided to let her focus on her own objectives. He took a quick glance at his roster and paused by a name near the new column. Wren Hayden – she was new to the Knights and apparently hadn’t taken part in any of the cooperative missions, or at least none that had been noted. Mythal wasn’t exactly the best at keeping notes.

The Darkness King doubted the mission would be that dangerous. And it could be a good way for him to introduce himself to a newer recruit and see what they could do. With that decided, he made the appropriate preparations for his equipment and then headed out from his office. With everything set and locked, he went ahead to the dining hall, hoping to catch the newer Knight near the end of lunch. It seemed luck was on his side, as the woman was seated at one of the long benches and was enjoying quite the spread of food. “Wren Hayden?” he asked as he walked up to the table. “Mythal Ragnos. Er… General Ragnos, to some, I guess. But just call me Mythal. Listen, I’m heading out on an investigation and I need someone to pair up with me. Cosiderin’ your bein’ new and all, I figured I’d ask you to accompany me. Get to know one another and give me an idea of what you can do, y’know? What’dya say?”

Wren had only recently joined the ranks of the Rune Knights, and was honestly excited as can be. After joining, the little witch had found out that her favorite apothecary was quite literally a short fly over to the next city! Of course she had gone over to Nelson’s Apothecary to tell him of the news and allow him to clean up the room she was spending her days in. She had even warned him that she would be there a little less with her joining the Rune Knights. Of course Nanny couldn’t have cared any less about where they lived just that they had a roof over their heads, a bed to sleep in, even food to eat to stay healthy. Wrens magic was being a little weird and not seeming to function just yet. Wren thought that it was because she was still physically getting used to the world. If that was the case though, shouldn’t her broom not work? There was bound to be a reason why, or her magic will catch up again.

The short brown eyed witch had decided she wanted to eat something and flew slowly around the headquarters with her black cat before her. After her adventure at the Summer Solstice, Wren made sure she paid attention to where she was going, better than before, and didn’t go too fast at least when she was flying low. Going up in the air away from everyone else… that was another story. Food in Fiore was intensely different than food from Sailkia, enough that Wren was starting to find herself addicted to the dishes that were presented to her here. She had gotten off of her broom just before she entered the dining hall. The place was huge compared to what she was used to… or she was just that small. She couldn’t help herself as she gathered a bunch of entrees and took over part of a bench with her delicacies and began eating the majority of them. No one was bothering her, or telling her that she couldn’t eat all that on her own, or that there were rules for the food or whatever, so she was just going to eat it all however she wished, at least with a utensil she was provided with.

While she was in the middle of gobbling her food, her name had been called and she perked up a bit as she glanced out of the corner of her glasses to see who it was calling her. She had what was called a french fry, hanging out of her mouth as she looked up to the approaching man. Great. She probably did something wrong if someone knew her name already besides Beaux. That was a thing here too, right? If a higher up already knew your name when you were fairly new, it wasn’t a good thing? She quickly finished her fry as the man introduced himself to the short, redheaded girl. Great, one of the Generals had their eye on her already. She felt embarrassed to be approached while she was eating, like when a waiter or waitress approaches to ask about the food while you have a full face, but Nanny didn’t seem to bother one bit as she was curled up on the bench next to Wren. The most movement that came from the black and purple cat, was her tail flicking slightly. Though, Wren supposed the cat knew she wasn’t in trouble since all he apparently wanted was to ask her a question.

She lowered the remaining fries back onto her plate as she looked up to the man, and pursed her lips. She should get used to this. This wasn’t a job like back at Nelsons, where she could get a heads up about what he needed done and start it after eating. She smiled up to him after a moment and nodded. “Sure! What is it we’re investigating? Er… I hope I can at least help and not get too much in the way at least.” She scratched the back of her head as she looks to the table and the unfinished food. While she constantly yelled she was a female, her voice didn’t sound as feminine as she wished it could have been most days. She bit her bottom lip as she really didn’t want to leave it there or throw it away. She needed to get her magic back and get a secret magical compartment… or a genie’s lamp to hide all the food in. She glanced up to Mythal again and raised an eyebrow to him. “Is there a chance we can go after I finish eating? Or would you care to join me?” Nanny let up a noise as she was protesting her witch. Really, she wished she would just get up and go. New job meant new work, and dilly dally wasn’t something the cat believed in most days.

Wren was certainly not what Mythal was expecting. There were a fair number of wizards that stood out among the ranks of the Rune Knights but Wren was, perhaps, one of the more unique. He was short, red-headed and seemed more book smart than prepared to run into battle. That was just based on how he looked but looks were always deceiving. And based on the fact that he had openly and confidently joined up of his own free will, it seemed Wren was more than meets the eye. Mythal knew better to judge a book by it’s cover, given his own personal experiences. Though Wren was definitely within the younger category of the Knights, of which there seemed to be numerous.

The young man eagerly agreed to take part in the investigation, instantly asking what they would be looking for. “Some time back, when I first joined the Knights, I was lookin’ into a cult that was operatin’ out of Beanstalk Village. I managed to find a tome and a coin but couldn’t really go on much more than that. I gave what I had to some of my people to look into it and it looks like they got a lead. There’s a hut in East Village that he was spotted roamin’ about before he moved onto Beanstalk. I need a second pair of eyes with me, just in case I miss somethin’. It shouldn’t be too dangerous and it’ll give me a good opportunity to review your abilities. Considerin’ I’m gonna be your boss, it’ll help me figure out yer strengths and weaknesses and help you grow. All that… General-type stuff.” The Darkness King was still learning how to properly act like an officer of the Rune Knights. Instructing and educating recruits was one of the top requirements and he still hadn’t quite got the lexicon that went with it.

But he had the drive, so that was something. It was a bit odd that the younger man was more worried about getting in the way than helping – perhaps some issues with self confidence? “Hey, as long as you’re willin’ to help me look around and find things, you’ll be fine. This won’t require any great feats of magic and if it does, I’ll be right there to help you out,” he assured her, giving her a brief smile. He glanced over at the cat near Wren, who seemed to be connected to the young man. A magical familiar or a pet? He couldn’t quite figure it out. Either way, it seemed quite displeased that Wren suggested they go after her lunch. Mythal merely chuckled. “That’s perfectly fine. I did kinda throw it on you outta nowhere. How about you finish up and we’ll meet in the courtyard in say… thirty minutes?”

Counting that she agreed, the God Slayer would give her an affirming nod and then head back the way he came. This gave him the opportunity to actually check in with some of the other duties he had been putting off, namely going to Engineering. He’d asked them to retrofit some equipment for him in case a major battle or mission came forward. It took nearly the full thirty minutes for him to check on his tasks before he made his way to the courtyard, stopping near the fence separating the training yard and the main walking area.

Through her lenses, Wren eyed her General before her. She was trying to figure out if he knew her gender or not. He didn't seem to say anything about it, or use any pronouns for her. She was going to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was telling her about some cult working out of a place called 'Beanstalk Village'? She should look at that map she found again and try to familiarize herself with the cities and towns around the country she was currently calling home. While she mused to herself about learning where she was at, she still listened to her superior and heard Mythal inform her that he found a coin and tome. The coin meant nothing to her… but the tome… That could be something of importance. She would have to ask about it soon. But their task was to head to the East Village and investigate someone's apparent home. She grins again as she cocked her head some.

"Only a second pair of eyes? Why not three extra?" She teased as she pointed to her glasses, and then to Nanny as well. She didn't care about being called four eyes as much as she did about being called a kid or a guy. In fact, she felt like she made the most 'four eyed' jokes on herself than anything. She rested her elbow on the table as Nanny opened an eye towards Wren. She wanted none of that joking. "You can count on me to help you out! By the way… do you know what that tome might of been about? Potions? Hexes? Magical creatures?" She was seeming a bit excited as she leaned forward more and more after each question. Honestly, the contents of a tome could be quite the blessing for someone like herself. They could help get one even more powerful. She realized she was leaning forward and quickly sat back again to not be leaning over her food too much.

He assured her that her willingness to help out was good enough for him, and he'd help her out if magic was involved. That got her thinking of telling him about her lack of magic at current, but she had a feeling it might come back here soon! Or… she at least was starting to say so to herself, hoping to psych it into coming back. She felt her magic. Psyching it into showing and letting her use it once again. She could only hope it'd work at least. After she asked about finishing food or him joining her, he set up a time and date to meet up to go on this investigation. "Sure! I might be able to finish by then." She beamed up happily to him before her attention went right back to the food and she began munching on the food once again.

By the time Wren finished her food, nearly thirty minutes had gone by and she started making her way out of the building. She didn't want to crash into anyone inside, so she made her way out of the building on foot, Nanny chasing after her. When she got outside, the little witch patted her stomach happily. This world was spoiling her in food! And it at least tasted better than what she could afford back in her world. She straddled her broom before Nanny jumped up front, and took off above the ground. She could have a bit more freedom flying, at least others could see her as she made herself a bit more eye level with most everyone. She glanced over and noticed Mythal by a fence. She was excited again. Her first job as a Rune Knight! She flew over as she put a fist over her mouth to cover it a bit before letting out a belch. "Phew! Food here in Fiore is better than back home! So what are we doing investigation the hut? Just seeing what kind of person lived there? Anything specific we gotta find? Yada yada?" She waved a hand in the air as her other gripped her broom stick. She was honestly ready to follow him to wherever it was the investigation was to be at again. She really should get used to the land and memorize where places were.

Wren made a joke about the fact that he wore glasses, pointing to his glasses and the cat nearby. Mythal had to remind himself that some people were called ‘four eyes’ for wearing glasses – his societal skills were still being polished. “Hah, of course,” he said with a short laugh and smile, acknowledging the joke as best as he could.  It was humorous in an odd sort of way, though he thought other people were meant to tease others with it. Maybe Wren was just comfortable enough in his own skin to tease himself. It spoke a lot about him. Before he could move on, Wren brought up the tome again, asking what it was about. With each possibility, he leaned forward more and more, practically in Mythal’s face by the end of his inquiries. The Darkness King blinked. “Well, as far as I could get for a translation, it was called the ‘Unyielding Death’. It was some kind of ritualistic book that seemed more about worshipping some kind of death god or somethin’ than offerin’ any kind of… recipe list. It might have had some spells but was damn near impossible to translate. Pretty sure the boys down in the workshop have it locked up.” He’d only gotten a brief translation from the herbalist’s husband from Beanstalk Village and it was enough to tell him it was bad news.

Wren agreed to the time, ensuring him that he would hopefully be able to finish his meal. Quite the stomach on him. Either way, Mythal departed to finish up some of his errands and then headed to the courtyard, glancing out into the training yard as he waited. Several early afternoon drills were in the midst of being run, as officers put their soldiers to work. It reminded him that he hadn’t exactly been working out lately to keep himself in shape either.

“You know technically you’re getting four pairs of eyes,” the ever irritating voice of Lux spoke up from his side as the Seal appeared beside him, sitting on the fence idly.

“I don’t exactly consider you the helpin’ type,” the God Slayer remarked, rolling his eyes to focus on the Lightbringer.

“And Dorkster McEatsAlot is? That kid should be playing hooky from… middle school? High school? I honestly wouldn’t tell ya. Maybe they’re part of a Rune Knight JROTC. Is that a thing we have here?” Lux commented as he rubbed his chin.

“There ain’t no ‘we’ in this situation, Lux. You’re a pesky little voice stuck in my head… soul… whatever. The sooner I can figure out a way to get rid of you, the better.” It had become a major goal in his life to find some way to part the Seals from their hosts – specifically separating Lux and Victoria from Serilda and himself. But finding any information on the Seals was damn near impossible in the first place. So it wasn’t easy, to say the least.

“Yeah, you keep tryin’ that, champ. I’m just gonna sit here and watch you flail in the wind. And then when you get tired, I’m gonna swoop in and take over. And probably murder everything. Including four eyes comin’ down the stairs right now,” Lux commented as he pointed back towards the entrance.

Mythal turned just in time to see Wren come literally soaring down the path, seated on a broom that flew him just above the ground. The cat had mounted itself on the front, proud and happy to be soaring at the lead. The Darkness King was impressed; a rookie in the Rune Knights and he could already fly. As he came to a stop before him, he let out a satisfying burp that frankly, made both men chuckle in spite of themselves. “Anythin’ out of the ordinary. The guy who lived there was a part of some dark cult so chances are he may have something that can give us further answers. So keep an eye out for… well, anythin’ strange.” He was about to activate his dark portal when he paused, remembering that Lux was sitting right there. With a heavy sigh, he jabbed a thumb in his direction. “And this is Lux, he’s a walking, talking pain in the a—“

“Absolutely charmed to make your acquaintance, kiddo. Are you ready for a little field trip?” the Lightbringer hopped off the fence and squatted down in front of Wren, taking an annoying delight in treating her like a child.

“Ignore him. He feeds off attention,” Mythal intervened as he extended his arm away from him and snapped. An oval-shaped portal of darkness erupted from the ground, ebbing and fluctuating as magic coursed through it. “Lucky for us, I have a portal point right on the edge of Magnolia that should get us goin’ in the right direction. Just walk on through; you’ll feel like you walked through a door to another room.” He waited for Wren to head on through the portal first and then followed after him, with Lux trailing right behind.

Just as he had explained it, they would be in Era in one instant and then on the very outer rim of Magnolia the next. The portal opened them up to a small grassy knoll just past the last street in Magnolia, setting them up to look directly into the forest. Mythal turned after they’d all come through and snapped again, releasing the magic and dissipating the portal. “Now then,” he said, ignoring Lux as he walked up to stand beside Wren. “We need to head in…” It took him a moment to get his bearings before he pointed. “That direction. Let’s get to it.”

Wren honestly felt like she was funny there for a moment, and the fact that she was acknowledged for her joke, made her feel a bit more happy about it too! She shouldn't let it get to her head though, sometimes she does try too hard. As she listened to the contents of the tome, Wren started to frown. That didn't seem all that fun. "Bet the god was a sham." She snorts to herself. After finding out about the tome and what was mainly in it, she was no longer interested in the book, and just wanted her food again. She waved to him with a couple fingers as he went to go do whatever it was he went of to do.

When she met up with Mythal, she didn't notice his friend at first, but she gave him a small smile before General Ragnos informed her of what they'd be looking for. She twitches her lips a little. That shouldn't be too hard, right? Anything strange in a cultists house. Easy peasy. She was going to ask if the guy on the fence was going to join them when Mythal already went ahead and started introducing them. Lux.

And then he spoke.

She looked like she physically was about to snap. Her small smile she had on her face grew. But her smile was happy it was clearly forced and unamused as she slapped her hands on her cheeks. She then decided to have some fun and made her face at least seem like she was over the top happy, and pitched her voice up some. "Good golly! A little field trip?! I can't believe it! It's been nearly six years since I've been on one in high school!" Near the end of her sentence, she leveled out her voice and went to a clearly unamused face. Nanny moved to jump on her shoulders as she started tilting her broom up at a nearly vertical angle, one heel hooked on the broom and one hand holding herself up as she leaned in to the guy squatting down like a fool to her.

"Let's have some fun then... geezer." She felt smug before she looked over to Mythal when he snapped. She blinked as she saw a portal form and tilted her head some. Did that happen to be how she got here…? Or something similar… she hadn't been here long, but she didn't think she wanted to go back home either, just find out how she got here. Mythals comment of having a portal point on the edge of Magnolia made Wren mentally not that the East Forest or wherever they were going again was near Magnolia apparently. She snickered as she jumps off her broom to stand her whole four foot, three inch height on the ground, and waltz through the portal with Nanny balancing on one shoulder, and her broom hanging over the other.

She looked around after exiting the portal and looked around the knoll a bit. She moved to the side to see the town and then back at the forest. She had a hand on her hip and most of her weight on one leg. "That's pretty nifty! It'd be cool if I could learn that." She chuckles with a grin. She then paused as she taps her chin a bit. "Guess that means I'd also have to learn where I am…" The small girl looked up to her general as he pointed in the way they were to go, and quickly spun her broom around to be able to get on it. This time, instead of sitting on her broom, she was balancing on it as if she were on a skateboard. Nanny was at the front, as per usual. Riding her broom like this, was literal child's play to her. She noticed that no one rode brooms here, so she felt she could show off just a little bit. That, and she was tired of sitting.

Wren followed Mythal to wherever the hut was, eyeing around her to see if there were any plants about them that could be useful to her. So far, none. She seemed to have a rather decent balance while riding on her broom the way she was, but with going slow made it a little hard for her to stay put as well as she liked to.

Mythal could literally see the veins beginning to churn annoyance into Wren’s face as Lux confronted her and degraded him. Most people just listened to him about the Seal of Light or they tried to engage him in some kind of conversation, much to their chagrin. But Wren was openly and obviously annoyed at the wording that Lux had chosen – had it been about him being young? Mythal watched quietly as the young man build up the energy to speak, putting on perhaps the fakest smile he had seen in awhile. What came out of her mouth next was a spew of sarcastic, unamused responses to Lux’s field trip quip. But slowly she moved towards the Lightbringer, bringing her face mere inches away from his when she remarked one last time and opted to call him geezer.

Lux stared at her, his face wrought confusion. He scoffed as she leapt down and headed towards the portal, clearly unbelieving of her comment. “Geezer? That’s the best she’s got? That’s not even… I mean I don’t even look…” He paused as he rolled the word around in his head. “Mythal, Mythal… I’m not a geezer,” he said, trying to defend his stance.

“Well technically you are eons old so… you’re like a super geezer,” the God Slayer said with a shrug. As he turned towards the portal to follow after Wren, he couldn’t help the smirk that tugged itself onto his mouth. It felt good to get the sarcastic, unhelpful Seal back for several of his comments he’d made since he materialization.

“What?!” the Seal was absolutely baffled! How dare they call him a geezer and a… super geezer. He was the Lightbringer, for God’s sake. Grumbling, he walked through the portal and popped out next to Mythal and Wren, now more upset than he had been.

Such a small little insult had twisted him into all sorts of knots. Mythal was already enjoying this day a lot more now. Once they had figured out which direction they needed to head in, he took the lead and walked into the woods. According to the coordinates he had received, the hut was a thirty-minute walk into the woods. He could probably cut that time down by a lot if he ran but there really was no rush at the moment. If anything, it gave him time to talk to Wren a bit more.

“So Wren…” He said as he turned to look at him. “You said that Fiore had better food than where you’re from. You mind if I ask where that is?” It had been an interesting thing to say, as most of the food here was similar to food across the world. Sure, there were some distinctive dishes that separated the countries from one another but the way he said it… it almost seemed like all the food was better. He had to admit that he was quite curious about it.

“And while I’m thinkin’ of it… why’d you decide to join the Rune Knights? Lookin’ to help protect people and all that jazz?” That was the usual spiel that people went into when they got asked that question. It was even more popular nowadays, considering the attack on Era. Lots of people were stepping up and offering themselves to the ranks to help protect the citizens of Fiore.

Before long, the abandoned cottage popped up into view. Mythal cast a glance back at Lux, who was still grumbling to himself in the rear, before he continued towards the proximity of the hut. On the outside, there was very little to it. A small single room building with plenty of moss growing on its outside. There was a rather healthy flower bed that surrounded the entire cottage save for the door, with plenty of plants springing up from the dirt. “Check around the house and see if you can spot anythin’, Wren,” he calmly asked the young man as he walked up to the door and pressed his hand against the surface.

He could sense the darkness inside but no movement. He’d been told that this place had been abandoned so that was no surprise. “Lux, go inside and check for traps.”

“I’m not your bomb sniffing dog, Mythal. You could have brought your mutt for that,” the Lightbringer said with a snort.

“Just friggin’ do it. If I get blown up, you ain’t got a body to control either, dumbass,” the God Slayer hissed.

The Seal rolled his eyes and walked up and past Mythal, easily passing through the solid surface much like a spirit. After a moment he poked his head through. “Nothing but a crumbling wreck,” he said before dipping back into the hut.

Mythal pushed the door open slowly, not entirely sure that Lux wouldn’t leave a trap just to screw with him. He leaned in and looked around carefully and, upon finding nothing, stepped inside. Just like Lux had said, the place was trashed. Anything and everything was scattered and tattered and laying about the place. It was like someone left in a hurry. “We’re inside, Wren,” he called out through the door as he began the process of picking through the mess. There had to be a clue somewhere around here…

Wren couldn't help herself but feel accomplished as she got Lux to be at least confused about her comment. She didn't know how old he was really, but geezer seemed to be a lovely word to mess with some people. It was small, but it could be quite effective. She honestly wanted to stay back and see his reaction, but she didn't think she could hold her laughter in if she did stay. As Lux had come through the portal, she stifled a couple snickers as she looked away from him.

As the little witch was flying on her broom like a skateboard, she glanced over to the general again. She had been flying with her back to him, and quickly moved to fly in a circle and be on his other side. "Would you believe me if I said I wasn't from this world?" She questioned as she shrugged her shoulders. She let her broom fly higher up as she crouched down on the broom. "I'm from a place called Sailkia. It's a piece of crap world, that I'm glad I somehow popped here from." She had no issue insulting her home world. She hated it anyways. "Food there that I've been able to have is so bland, and pretty much barf worthy by just looking at a picture of it."  His second question got her to look at him for a brief moment before she got knocked in the head by a branch. Nanny didn't even flinch as she looked to Wren. "Kay! I'll pay attention and fly right!" She cries to the cat as she lowered the broom again and moved to sit side saddle again on the broom as she points to Mythal. "And yes. Sailkia is pretty crappy with protecting the poor and weak, so I hope to be able to do that myself however I can." She smiles as she shrugs her shoulders.

She didn't feel it was too big of a deal, but then again, Beaux was the one who had re-inspired her to want to do any job similar to the Rune Knights. Or more him being heavily teased by the one vendor at the fair not too long ago. She then had a thought and reached a hand up to scratch the back of her head. "Oh! And I joined 'cause when I first got here I sent a thing in to this magazine where this lady responded back and suggest finding the Rune Knights to find my footing!" She chuckles to him. Was that cheesy? Probably. It sounded so to her that she listened to a magazine writer and all. Would he think so too? She hoped she didn't just make herself out to be a big old fool. Impressions were great. She couldn't take that back now. Oh well.

Wren looked over to the cottage that had a flower bed around and could see the weeds in it, but she also saw a bit more than weeds. Her face started to light up some. What potions she could make with this?! Ooooh! She was in heaven. Then she was told to check around the house. She raised a hand and put two fingers to her forehead before she pulled them away. "Ayo kayo, General-o." She says as she was all too happy to be going around to see about the plants while Mythal did his stuff. She had stayed on her broom as she flew around, not wanting to disturb anything as she flew around.

By the flower bed, Wren lowered herself closer to it before wrapping her legs around the broomstick tight, and slowly moved to make herself upside-down. Nanny was still on top of the broom and was just licking herself while she waited on Wren to do her investigating. The little witch was mumbling about the flowers in the bed and of the things they could possibly be used for as she reached a hand through the bushes to explore more. A frown started to form on her lips as she was noticing something slowly. She was hoping she was wrong though. The witch got off of her broom and started to pick a little bit of the herbs and flowers. She looks to Nanny, who lowered her head towards her, and let Wren stick the stalks of herbs in her collar to hold. She looks up as Mythal said that they were inside, and goes to head to the door, broom following behind her like it was on a leash or something.

She looks around the room of the hut and makes a little face. This was kind of hitting home for her… The girl walked in and let her eyes wander around from the bookshelf, to the bed, to the desk, chest, the material of the wood to hold it together. Goodness… Yeah, home was being hit for her. Her shoulders had slumped a little as she walked around, frowning as she aimlessly walked over to the bookshelf. She started pulling out a book at a time, flipping through the pages of it while she squatted near the shelf. ‘Focus on work. Not home.’ She thought to herself as she grabbed another damaged book. It was a dull purple with silver dragons on it, and there seemed to be some ‘legible’ words on it… or what appear to be words. “Mythal.” She calls out after she opened the book, standing up as she did so. This was a magic book… if she could figure out the language… maybe it could help her gain her magic again too?! She showed Mythal the book as she went over to him, wondering what his thoughts would be on it, though, her eyes went to the chest on the desk.

She wanted to see what was inside. Maybe some important papers? A wand? Athame? Endless possibilities. Nanny mewed over on the broom in the doorway, and Wren looked over to her. “Oh! Yeah! There are some flowers and herbs in the flower beds around the place that are commonly used in paralysis and sleep potions.” She tells him. “They could be used in other stuff… but I’m hoping not…” Her eyes glance back down to the spell book, frowning as she didn’t like the thought of magic being used for evil. But then again, she came from a world that didn’t even seem like it had an ounce of ‘good’ magic in it from the majority of the people there.

Regardless of if Mythal took the book or not, or if he had checked over the desk all the way, she had gone over and opened up the chest. It was an obvious thing out in the open. If she still had the book, she set it on the corner of the table. She started shifting through the stuff in the chest a little bit. Her face paled as she stops and pulls out some vials of dried herbs and pieces of things. Whipping her head around, she looked over to Nanny and the herbs around her neck. She quickly drops the vials back into the chest without breaking them, and goes to her companion, nearly tearing the herbs and flowers off of her before bringing the stuff back to the desk and tapping her lips while she was thinking of what the ingredients together could possibly* make if mixed together. These ingredients actually worked in distracting her from her thoughts as she concentrated on them. This should be child's play to her though! She should know what these can do together!**

Mythal watched as Wren turned his broom all the way around him, circling the wizard and the spirit, so that he could face him. In the long run, it was probably easier to pull that task than to actually get up and sit himself back down. Frankly, the Darkness King would have done the same thing. He listened as Wren began his explanation with a semi-rhetorical question, stating that he was from another world. He went on to explain that he came from a place called Sailkia, apparently not one of the greatest worlds out there. Apparently the food there had been terrible and he had no remorse about coming to Earthland. Mythal chuckled a little and shook his head. “Nowadays Wren, it’d be stranger if you weren’t from another world. My… the man who got with my mother came from another world, meanin’ I’m half different myself. Lux back there…” He had started to explain when he stopped, snorting instead. “Let’s just say he’s a bit different too.” He didn’t want to scare the new recruit with the explanation that Lux was, in fact, a key to the apocalypse. That kind of news was grave to anyone who heard it after all.

“Hey, I’m an original. It’s you meat bags that are the weird ones. What with your mortality and needs. Who even likes the idea of eating?” Lux cut in, scoffing and rolling his eyes. Clearly he hadn’t gotten over being called a geezer.

Based on his continued explanation, it sounded like Wren’s home world didn’t quite take the task of protecting its people very seriously. It was because of that Wren  had joined up with the Rune Knights, in hopes of making up that difference. He smiled and nodded softly before the younger man jumped back in, stating that someone in Sorcerer Weekly had suggested Wren join the Rune Knights to get some kind of baseline going. Apparently Seri’s advice column was having more of an impact than he originally knew. That was good to hear.

Reaching the cottage, Wren was more than happy to take on the task of searching the perimeter of the house, apparently more intrigued by the plant life around it. He noted that, assuming that the young recruit simply enjoyed gardening, and watched for a moment after the salute as the younger wizard floated over by the plants and began his examination. That examination apparently meant that he had to slide underneath his broom and hang off of it. Mythal chuckled softly before continuing his own investigation.

He’d already begun to sort through some of the loose papers on the table as Wren came in, Mythal pulling up leaflets and reading them briefly before tossing them aside. “Looks like our cultist wasn’t exactly the cleanest of people,” the Darkness King remarked idly to all present.

“You’d think people part of some kind of secret cult would keep their matters better filed. Or maybe there’s method to it – maybe they have everything spilled everywhere so no one will think the wiser,” Lux theorized boorishly, looking about the room with minimal interest. The Lightbringer glanced over at Wren pushed through bookshelf, withdrawing tomes one at a time and browsing them.

Mythal had pushed through most of the paperwork when Wren spoke up. He paused his search to glance over at the younger wizard, frowning as he looked at the book in Wren’s hands. He covered the distance between them and took the book gently from the younger’s hands, opening it up and flipping through it softly. It wasn’t the same as the one he had found; in fact, it didn’t seem too nefarious based on the example pictures drawn in them. A simple book of magic perhaps? He remembered then that when he had brought up the other tome, Wren had gotten quite excited at the prospect of it. Before he could speak, Wren’s companion meowed from the floating broom, sparking a reminder in the younger wizard’s mind. She mentioned that the garden outside was growing ingredients for potions, specifically paralysis and sleep ones. “Paralysis and sleep potions…” He mumbled softly. Fairly in line with what a cultist would have on hand, though apothecary was more a tradecraft than anything else.

He was musing on that as Wren crossed over to the desk and opened up the chest on it. Mythal barely noticed that he had discovered some vials and the sight had drained the color from his face. Instead, the Darkness King had shifted to walk, causing the floorboards to creak. That’s what made him stop. His senses had picked up the emptiness of the hole beneath the floor but there hadn’t been anything in particular he could feel out. Naturally the house had creaked as they moved about, with there being no solid surface beneath the wood. But the plank he had just been standing on hadn’t. It was firm, enough that it had formed a foundation under the floorboard.

A foundation? Only one way to find out. He bent down and found the grooves between the wooden planks. Then he connected to the darkness of the empty hole below the rest of the floor, creating a makeshift shadow fist. It shot up from underneath the planks, pushing several of them upwards. Mythal lifted the suspicious one up further, revealing a concrete frame with a hole in its middle. There lay a key and a single piece of paper. He held up the key to inspect before he pocketed it and then pulled up the piece of paper.

“What the hell…? It was a poem. An oddly written, not brilliant poem but one nonetheless. He trailed over the lines a few times quietly, his brow furrowing. “Fate guides the willing, and drags the unwilling…” he said softly.

“Whoa!” Lux chirped up, jumping a little.

Mythal turned to look at him. “What?”

“Something just lit up.”

The Darkness King looked around. No light had come on anywhere that he could see. He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Quit screwin’ around…”

“Hey! I’m serious. What did you just say? Say it again,” the Seal of Light insisted, thrusting a finger at the paper.

Mythal met Lux’s gaze wearily for a moment before he sighed. “Fate guides the willing, and drags the unwilling.”

“There it is again!” Lux said, his head spinning all around. It took him a minute before he located the source, rushing over to the door and through it. Now curious, Mythal got up and followed after him. The Lightbringer had rushed over to the well nearby. The stone construction hadn’t stuck out much when they first arrived, as many huts like this had such things. It looked overgrown but other than that, it probably still functioned. “Again!” Lux insisted.

“Fate guides the willing…” Even before he finished, he could see the runic symbols beginning to glow from the words, a single rock out of the construction blessed with magical properties. “And drags the unwilling…” As he finished it, the stone went dull once more. “A password encoded in a poem.” It was brilliant, if a bit obvious now that he thought about it. If it had rhymed, it may have been harder to figure out.

Lux squinted at Mythal’s hands, apparently noticing something. He walked over and waved at the Rune Knight General, silently telling him to lift the paper up so that the back of it was facing the Seal. Mythal obliged before the spirit laughed. “A passcode encoded in a song,” he corrected the Darkness Slayer.

Mythal turned the paper around and found musical notes written on the rear, simple symbols that meant very little to him. “I ain’t gonna sing this,” he said simply, scowling.

Lux rolled his eyes. “Such a baby. Lemme see the words.” Without much option, Mythal shrugged and turned the paper around so that Lux could read it.

And then oddly enough, he sang.

♩ Fate guides the willing, and drags the unwilling
  Today I hear the bells, the sound clear as they ring
  How could I be unwilling?  With the life I’ve lived?
  Hated and scorned.  The tears I’ve shed.
  Drawn to a new family, only to find nothing.
  No one to hurt or leave.  No one to sting.
  I walk willingly with fate, with no regrets.♩

His voice was… angelic, probably the best one that Mythal had ever heard. As he sang each verse, a different stone would light up and illuminate with a different color. The Lightbringer delighted in the song or so he played and when he finished, he held the last note for an extended amount of time. Then there was a rumble as the well gurgled and began to swallow down its water. The rope at the top began to descend, activated by the magical engineering deep within the well itself.

Mythal stared. Lux grinned. “To be fair, it wasn’t really a song. The stones play the music but since I can play around with light, I figured I could put on a show,” the Lightbringer said with a wink as he waved at the well. “Well c’mon, I can’t do all the work for you lazy skin sacks.”

The little witch listened as Mythal talked of his mother's partner being from another world, and she gave a wry smile. She understood that a little bit, or, the parent partner bit. As he talked about Lux, she grinned and scrunched her nose some. "Of course he's different~ He's a geezer!" She said shamelessly aloud. She wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Honestly, she liked that name for him. That, and she could probably use it next time he tried to call her kid. She shouldn't wear it out too soon. She looked back towards Lux and grins. "Have you ever tried food before since you're over there thinking you're all high and mighty." She snorts as she stuck her tongue out to him.

Inside, after Wren got the herbs, she looked over to Mythal while he spoke of the cultist being messy. She ignored Lux's comment though. After finding the book, then informing her general of the plants around the building, she went to checking out the chest. Honestly, she thought Mythal would have looked in the chest first. People liked looking in things like that, right? For treasures? She mulled over the vials and the herbs before her… For the life of her, she was forgetting the potion… "These make sleep… that makes paralysis… these two mixed together could make a stiff arm…" She grabbed her chin as she glared at the stuff. Then it hit her. "Ooooooh boy!" She says aloud as she turns around to see Mythal messing with the floorboards.

Of course the little witch was confused about what he was doing, and tilted her head towards him. He made the planks shoot up a bit before he seemed to find something there. She held a couple vials to her chest as she made her way over to him to see what all he found. She peered at the paper while standing next to him. She was confused about the poem that he found as well. That was till Lux started to make a noise about something lit up when Mythal read the poem aloud. She followed behind the two as Lux was seeming excited about something outside. “You sure it’s not the sun that lit up through the clo-” She saw the symbols on the well glowing, making her jaw drop a bit. Now that seemed a bit more important than the ingredients now.

“Passcode in a song?” Part of her wanted to try it out, but she also wasn’t a singer. She didn’t have much confidence in her voice. She wouldn’t have to as Lux had stood up to sing in Mythal’s steed. Her eyes grew wide as she listened to him sing the song in front of the well, and she noticed the stones lighting up. She went over to the well as it started to rumble, and watched the water go down. She looks up to Lux and snickers. “Jeez! I guess I need to bring the geezer to the next parent singing competition.” She sticks her tongue out. She pointed a finger towards him as she held a vial in each of her hands. She then looked to Mythal. “Okay! Before we jump down the dark and ha ha nope hole to who knows where, all the ingredients that are in the chest and around the house are ones that are able to be made into a… erm… a memory erasing potion... “ She begun twiddling her fingers together a bit as she felt nervous about letting him know about that. It wasn’t bad to let him know… but the fact that she knew it, and that this could possibly have been used already on someone already.

She pursed her lips a bit as she glanced to Mythal. “Even if these ingredients are kind of important to whatever this is for… is there a chance I can have them and the chest that was left here? I work part time at Nelsons Apothecary over in Crocus, and… well it’s half of my life, herbs and potions and the like.” She couldn’t help but confess to the general as she was hoping he’d say yes she could keep the stuff for herself. She would be lying if she were to say she was okay about not having the things as these were fresh ingredients and if you pass up on fresh ones, you were definitely an idiot in her mind. She then hastily cried out; “I wouldn’t make a memory erasing potion or anything bad! I don’t believe in making those without a really good reason.” The little witch’s face got red as she felt a bit foolish there. Was this not a good time to ask about this stuff? Probably was. But she wasn’t going to ask that while they were down in the well though! It was probably going to be damp and musty down there.

Her brown eyes looked over to the rope and then over to Nanny who came to fetch the vials from her and put them back momentarily. Regardless of Mythal’s answer, she really shouldn’t be holding them right now since it seemed they were going to be investigating the well. She leans over the edge of it, pushing herself up on the balls of her feet to get a look down. “So who’s first?” She questions while making a little bit of a face. The dark… this wasn’t going to be fun to her. She hadn’t paid attention to the dark bit of the well at first when the water was going down, she had been slightly in awe of Lux’s singing then.

The little witch glanced worriedly towards Mythal. Maybe she could sit this one out…? No! That wouldn’t be good on her! She would need to get over her fear of the dark to do future jobs probably! Might as well start now. “You wouldn’t happen to have some sort of light for when we go down there, right?” She wasn’t being too obvious about her displeasure of the dark, was she? She sure hoped not. Maybe he could see it as her wanting to know where she was going and how far down it would be. Having a light for that didn’t sound too bad either. Nanny had come back and was rubbing herself on Wrens legs, trying to comfort her a bit as she knew her witch’s fear.

Geezer was apparently the nickname that Lux had earned, despite his best efforts to put Wren down. The younger man had managed his anger and turned it back on the Lightbringer with nary a pause nor care, it seemed. The Seal may have been angrier about it but frankly, he doubted he would see Wren that often anyways. Mythal had a tendency to work with people every so often but truly his only partner seemed to be Serilda. The Voidwalker was a nuisance but she had proven herself a sharp enough tack to pilfer his sibling’s pride and that was entertaining. As Wren turned and asked him if he’d ever tried food before, he simply rolled his eyes. “Kid, I don’t need food. I rely on my awesome power to survive and that’s all I need. Eating is a waste of energy when I could stand behind you and mock you for needing it.” His only sustenance was the light of the world, after all.

And he was more than ready to showcase that brightness as he put on a single singer performance for the two Rune Knights. There was no hiding the bright and shining grin on his face as he finished the last notes of the song, taking a mental picture of their shocked expressions. Of course Wren had to ruin it by once again calling him a geezer and his smile dipped into a look of boredom. “You know, I try and make your lives more colorful and you go ahead and ruin it. See if I do anything magical for you meatbags again,” he said with a snort as he walked back to the hut.

Though Mythal was greatly entertained by Wren’s lack of fear in prodding and teasing the Seal, he was still concerned to what was happening at this hut. A structure that was left in tatters but several different hidden pieces had hinted towards something else. Now Lux had revealed that the well was some kind of underground passage. He made to walk towards the emptying well when Wren spoke up, talking about the ingredients again. He noted the small bit of fear and nervousness that ran rampant in his voice as she explained what the ingredients were. It seemed he was worried that Mythal would judge him for knowing what the ingredients could be mixed together and create. But the Darkness King simply hummed gently, rubbing his chin. “Memory erasin’ potions… wonder what a cult would need those for. Kidnappin’ people would be my guess,” he said aloud, his theories already beginning to form.

But it seemed there was a catch. Wren continued her thought process, expressing a desire to take the ingredients and the chest they had been stored in. It seemed he worked off duty as the apothecary in Crocus, another fact he didn’t know about him. Wren seemed quite determined to get the ingredients, quickly dissuading him of any notion that the younger man would use the potions for their intended purpose. He could practically hear Lux groan from over Wren’s shoulder but he ignored it. “Well it’s safe to say we’ll need samples to go back headquarters to be tested but… I don’t see why we can’t kill two birds with one stone. Gather a bit of each for evidence and hang onto that. The rest you can have. You don’t need to worry about tellin’ me yer not gonna use it for anythin’ bad. I can tell by the way you asked that yer tellin’ the truth.” Ever since Lux had shown up, Mythal had gained a sixth sense that granted several strange abilities. There was the fact that he could see miles away if he had a high enough plane to look down on and then there was the gut feeling when someone was either lying or telling the truth. It was a strange sensation that he couldn’t explain in words but he felt it in his core. Almost as if he could sense the levels of darkness and light within them. It was a bit weird but useful. He smiled. “We’ll grab it on our way back up,”

They had no other choice but to venture down into the pit and see what awaited them. Mythal walked over to the well and glanced down into her, hearing the last remnants of liquid swirling down into the grates below. Even with the sun at its highest peak, there was no seeing all the way down to the bottom, darkness overwhelming the chamber below. He could feel the droplets of water falling and running over the surface in the dark but, once again, he didn’t feel anything alive.

Lux wandered over and leaned over the edge to look down as well. “That’ll be fun,” he remarked nonchalantly. He then nodded his head in Wren’s direction. “Something tells me Captain Courage over there ain’t a fan of the dark. Funny, considering she’s working with Donnie Darko himself.” The Seal’s mouth parted into a wicked grin. He had clearly amused himself.

Mythal glanced over at Wren as the younger Knight asked if they had some kind of light. He hadn’t thought to pack a torch… Then an idea occurred to him. He turned back to Lux. “Why do we need a light when we have Larry Lightbringer right here with us?” he asked, turning the jokes back on Lux.

“Excuse me? I’m not your travelin’ beacon of light, buddy. Try solving your own problem,” the Seal said with a dismissive cough.

“Fair enough. How about I see if the other guy wants to come out again? Last I recall, he could manhandle you pretty well,” Mythal said quietly, moving in to Lux so that they were nearly touching foreheads. “I’m sure he’d love a chance to knock you around some more.”

Lux sneered but he didn’t respond right away. He looked at the Darkness Slayer, up and down, slowly and carefully. He was trying to judge if Mythal was really committed to making that mistake. Given that he had already done it before and vaporized a town…“Fine,” the Lightbringer growled as he extended his hand out towards the well. He snapped and several crystalline lanterns appeared. They were made up of light magic, clear, white and extremely bright. They floated down into the well, descending into the darkness. One by one they stopped to illuminate the way down, until the last three dipped inside a cavern at the bottom and continued their path.

“Thanks pal,” Mythal said with a simple nod to the Seal, earning him another snort. Then he turned to Wren. “Careful not to hit the lamps on the way down, eh?” he forewarned him before he stepped up onto the edge of the well and then over. He fell halfway before his wings of darkness erupted out from behind him, flapping twice to balance him out and glide him to the bottom. Then they faded away. There he waited until Wren came down to join him, looking around at the stony bottom of the watering hole. And the tunnel that opened up before him, already illuminated by dim crystals.

When Lux replied to Wren's question of trying food, he gave a rather boring answer. "Guess you haven't tasted one of the best desserts of your life then. Shame." She puts a hand on her cheek to mock feeling sorrow. Maybe she could butter him up with some food one day to see what he says about food then. She giggles to herself about that thought.

When he showed off his light stuff and Wren 'ruined' it with her comment, she couldn't hold back a giggle at all. "I'm sorry! Would it make it up to you if I said your voice sounded really nice so you could sing again? I really liked your singing voice!" She smiles sweetly to him as she had another thought. "Or maybe calling you something else like… Senpai?" While she was teasing about calling him another name other than geezer, but she was actually serious about liking the voice he sung with. Whether he believed her or not, that was on him. She watched him go back to the hut and tried to hide her giggle. She didn't think the name geezer would get to him that badly. But then again, calling her kid or a boy had the same effect, especially when used together at the same time on her.

After she told Mythal of the herbs and vials in the chest and what they all could do together at least, he seemed to just theorize what the memory erasing potion could be used for in the cult. As she asked to keep them, Mythal agreed, so long as she gave samples for the Rune Knights to have. Yeah, she was happy she could keep some, but she did have an issue with it too. She opened her mouth as she wanted to protest, and bit her bottom lip for a moment. She then nodded. "Promise me that only one even slightly knowledgeable in apothecary messes with these to test them then, okay? Inexperienced ones with potions as complex as this always ends badly." She was serious as she looked up to him. Now she had to mentally remember to grab the chest and herbs and flowers when they came out of the well.

She lowered herself back flat on her feet as she looked away from the well, not wanting to get herself worked up about the dark too much. General Ragnos' solution to the lack of light was apparently use Lux's light. She glanced to him and put her hands together as she made her eyes big towards Lux. "Please?" She asked as she slightly pouted towards him. Nanny had gone up onto the well and went over to where the two males were. She didn't seem amused and just let up a yowl at them before Lux gave in to helping with the light situation. Wren peered into the well again as Lux lit it up with lanterns. Relief washed over her as it wasn't so bad now. "Thank you, Lux~" Wren's voice was a little sing songy as she leaned back while holding onto the well. She gave Mythal a nod when he told her not to hit the lamps, and whistles for her broom. She holds Nanny to her as she gets on the broom and they go down nose first into the well.

Wren was able to keep her broom in a steady line as she clung to the broom with her ankles wrapped around the stick and her knees together till she got to the bottom. She had kept a decent distance between them so she wouldn't crash into Mythal, and by the time she got close to the bottom, she slowed down even more to slowly turn her broom horizontal again. Nanny creeped out from Wren's arms, and sat herself at her post in front the broom. She peered down to the dimly lit room as she lowered her broom and starts walking around a little. "Well… guess someone was ready to go do things." She says as she motions to a cultist robe on what looked like a metal shelf. She looked over to a chest and instantly wondered if more ingredients were in it.

Without thinking about a possible trap in the room, Wren went over to the robe and started to look it over. There were times where curiosity got the best of her and she opened up the robes to see them better after taking them off the shelf. If no one stopped her, she slipped it over her shoulders. The robe would be far too large for her, and you wouldn't see her arms with how long the sleeves were. She lets up a giggle and puts the back of her hand to the forehead as if she were a model, kind of. The sleeve would smack around her head as she felt like she was goofy with this silly robe on. She didn't keep it on long, honestly feeling weird with it on, and put it back on the shelf she found it on. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." She muses as she scratches the back of her head, holding her other arm behind her back.

Her eyes went back to the chest, and she noticed that there was a lock on it. Maybe if she had her magic… she could unlock it easy peasy. But that wasn’t the case here unfortunately. She purses her lips. Mythal wanted to see what it was she could do right…? Why not take initiative and at least put forth her problem solving skills? That didn’t seem too bad! She skipped over to the chest and sees if the chest would open for her. Of course it was locked though. Plan B! She looked over to Mythal. “Hey Mythal? You wouldn’t happen to have some bobby pins or something to pick at this… right? I haven’t gone to get myself some bobby pins yet. Or better yet… you wouldn’t happen to know how to pick this lock in general, right?” She nervously chuckles.

Lux didn’t like humanity. Every single one of them was just as useless as the other one, leaving him with a sour taste in his mouth whenever he had to interact with them. It was bad enough he was attached to Mythal and had to endure his very existence but what was worse is he couldn’t drown out the others. Even when he retreated back inside of the residence he held within the Darkness King’s soul, he could hear the voices of others around him. It was a constant, blaring, scratching sound that made him want to tear his hair out. Maybe that’s why he went out of his way to pop up and give back via snarky comments and insults. But there were a few humans that at least stuck out to him. Serilda was a nuisance but she had a bite to her that, at the very least, entertained him.

Yet with all the people in the world he had encountered, he could very easily say that this Wren was by far the most annoying. She had a spark of innocence and adventure that sparked on nativity. Rather than finding insult at his words and causing a commotion, she turned it back on him. Geezer was so asinine that it couldn’t help but turn a metaphorical gear in his head. She dared call him old? Him, a Seal of the Apocalypse and a being far superior to her? She just juxtaposed her own humor onto his might existence like it was nothing. It was probably something he hated in all humans but this little girl had truly gotten under his skin. When he eventually cleaved Mythal from the controls and could fully run the body, this little nugget would be the first to fall under his heels. That he could guarantee.

It was made only worse by her compliments. She attempted to tease him about singing and then immediately backed up, praising him for his dulcet tones. Then, of course, she offered the opportunity to swap his nickname with one just as ridiculous. He scoffed aloud and shook his head. “Call me whatever you want, you brat. I couldn’t care less,” he said simply, not bothering to look at her. What a massive pain in the ass. He was going to be quite pleased when Mythal separated himself from her and went back to other, less annoying pests.

Unfortunately for Lux, Mythal had picked up on that hatred. Lux was brazen in his own right but Wren had found a way to really turn the screw on him. The younger man was unafraid to get in the Seal’s face and to throw his words right back at him. Wren had the higher ground and he wasn’t about to give it up to a sarcastic pain like Lux. An inkling of an idea had planted itself in his mind as he kept his attention on Wren, the young Knight seeming to take issue with the testing of the ingredients. But he quickly explained it was because of the severity of what could come from improperly mixing the plants and whatnot together. He smiled softly and then reached out to place a hand on Wren’s shoulder. “How ‘bout this then; you can take point in helpin’ them run the experiments. You clearly have some expertise and while I know the specialists at headquarters are talented, it might prove to be a learnin’ experience for you both. Plus you’ve seen where they came from so you’ll have a better idea of what their intent might have been.” Luckily with his ranking, he could assign people pretty much wherever he wanted – unless they were in a different department. Then he had to talk to the General there. And seeing his strength and knowledge in alchemy helped him better understand where he would serve better.

Satisfied that decision would appease her, they turned their attention to the watering hole. Lux was influenced, if perhaps a bit bullied, into providing a bit of extra light for Wren to see. Mythal had no problems floating down to the bottom thanks to his magic but a broom took a little bit more expertise. Lux was unmoved by the child’s thanks, simply rolling his eyes as she sung her praises and dove down into the well. At it’s lowest point, Mythal touched down on the metal grate, water splashing up from his landing. Lux materialized again beside him, his brow knit quizzically at the lights at the end of the tunnel. “Looks like someone has their own little hidey-hole,” he quipped as he moved closer to Mythal, avoiding the descending witch.

Wren seemed to share the thought, the younger man walking over to the robe upon the shelf. It was the same color and design as the one the actual cultist had been wearing, though in much better shape. Before he could tell Wren not to much, the younger Knight was already over to the robe and looking it over. Though the God Slayer much doubted the cultist had been smart enough to trap the robe, he did take a moment to walk a bit past Wren and check for other traps nearby. Satisfied, he turned to see Wren practically swimming in the oversized garment. Lux groaned from just over her shoulder. “This is what passes as a professional cop these days?” he asked Mythal, gesturing to the younger Knight.

Mythal simply shrugged and smiled, unfazed by the actions. Despite his occupation, Wren was still on the younger side and with that came a playfulness. It wasn’t like he couldn’t claim to do silly things when he was on a mission to, especially with Seri. Lux could judge all he wanted, it wasn’t going to matter to him. “Well besides the fact that you could make a Wren-sized tent out of it…” Mythal joked as he looked at the robe on the younger Knight. “Seems like this was a secondary storage area. Apparently for his nefarious schemes and whatnot.”

With the outfit checked, there was still the matter of the chest on the shelf. Wren was the first one to approach it, examining it thoroughly. It was locked because of course it was. The younger Knight turned to him and asked him about his ability to pick locks. Mythal chuckled as he came up beside him. “I don’t have any pins, though I do know how to use ‘em to pop stuff open. But rather than do that, how about we just use the key?” he said, bringing up the aforementioned item. He held it out for Wren to take, giving him permission to take the lead and open up the box. At the same time, his magic gently pooled into his palm, resonating against his skin. Should the chest show any sign of tampering via trap magic, Mythal would be ready to act and ensnare it before it could hurt him or Wren.

Wren couldn't help but smile to Lux as he had told her she could call him whatever she wanted to. A devilish grin was on her face as she stuck her tongue out. "So~," She dragged out in a sing song voice. "I could call you 'gramps' and it'd be okay? You seem like you are a grandpa!" She giggles while trying to keep an innocent look on her face. Maybe she shouldn't try pushing her luck too much with him. Oh well, the words already left her mouth. When it came to the memory erasing potion ingredients, Wren wasn’t going to hide her worry. Mythal would assure her by putting a hand on her shoulder, and gave what she believed would be a good compromise to the ordeal. She gives him a nod and smiles back while she giggles. "Sounds good to me. I'll make sure they don't accidentally do anything to themselves with it too.” That was settled now.

As she was wearing the robes, she glanced over towards Lux and Mythal, giggling as she was amused by her trying on the robe. She had even slightly wiggled the sleeves since one couldn’t see her arms before she had removed the clothing off of herself. “This is what passes as a person with humor.” She giggles to Lux, sticking her tongue out at him. As she put the robe up, she looked over to Mythal again and grins as she couldn’t help but agree with him. It really could be a tent for her! “Quite nefarious… there’s barely anything in here.” She snorts before she went over to the chest. She pouts a little as Mythal had said he didn’t have any pins on him to pick the lock, and mentally kept a note in mind to have some on herself next time. He mentioned a key though. She looked to him confused, honestly haven’t seen it before when he found it. A grin was on her face as she gingerly took the key from him and crouched halfway down to put it in the lock.

She couldn’t contain herself as the key actually fit, and as she turned it, a click was heard, popping the lock open and having it hanging on the chest. She grabbed it and pulled it off the chest, setting it down next to it before she turned to look at Mythal with a huge grin on her face. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for more herbs to be in this thing.” She giggled before she stood up and moved to push the lid open. She wasn’t sure if there was a trap or anything, but there seemed to be a piece of board over the contents of the chest to preserve it from having stuff fall on them when the chest was opened. She frowns and reaches the little tab to pull the board up and off of the inside of the chest, seeing two more books and a key.

Wren takes a deep breath as she puts the board to the side and reaches in to one of the books to start flipping through it. “It’s… a diary? Journal? Whatever?” She looked up to Mythal and then looked back at the page she stopped on. “Oh… apparently the owner tried to be a wizard to score some chick, but as a dunce and shunned by their village or whatever.” She couldn’t help but slump her shoulders. She was considered the same, so she kind of felt for the poor soul. He had been like her, weakest of the weak, and perceived to be nothing because of it. She swallowed her spit hard and lowered the book, closing it slowly, but had her finger in between a couple pages that she had found to be interesting, or more weird. “They… they apparently were found by the cult… The cult… they made them owner feel special, apparently, but at the same time, they didn’t feel one with the cult… They took a suicide task on purpose.” She felt terrible. She could have easily ended up like this person. Or they could have done something similar like her…

The little witch reached her arm up and wiped her eyes under her glasses as some tears welled up and began to threaten to fall from her eyes as she turned her head away from Mythal. Already she was sniffling, but she was trying not to though. She didn’t want to show that she was crying. Being a crybaby over this wasn’t going to solve this! He chose to be apart of the cult himself! And he was already gone… there was nothing she could do about this. That was the path he chose. She peered into the chest again and takes a deep breath. Another book and another key. She opened the journal again and tries to calm her nerves to be able to read this all the way. She didn’t see the point of the other book, not after she was caught up in this journal and her feels for this guy here… and the key… it was just a key to her.

The now sad little witch was silently reading through the page she had bookmarked with her finger, and took a rather deep breath. “This page…” She holds the journal up to Mythal to see. “Seems like it’s gibberish to me, but there is a couple words here and there that seem to make sense.” The words were things like right and left. She doubted it was actually what it was. And ‘Woods’ was also a word she recognized too. She takes a shaky breath as she slowly brings the book back to herself, in case Mythal was still trying to read it. She was wanting to see if she could figure out the passage or something… or just wanted to have the journal close to her. She didn’t fully know if she were to be honest with herself.

All Lux could do was scoff. Scoff and try not to wring the girl’s neck. He could too – she couldn’t make a dent on him but it would be so easy to wrap his hand around her neck and snap it. He’d already shown plenty of times before that he could and would do it without a second thought. But he knew that if he did, Mythal would find a way to make him pay for it. Despite the fact that the God Slayer himself couldn’t touch Lux (yet), he’d shown that when he unleashed his other side, there was no wall or barrier between them. He shuddered to think what would happen if he pissed off the Darkness King just a bit too much. He couldn’t afford that; not until he’d gained back more of his power so he wasn’t just some illusion.

So he simply glared at Wren’s giggling, smiling face as she took joy in teasing him. She seemed to think they were having some kind of playful banter – that or she was wildly inept at reading how dangerous he was. Either way, the Seal wasn’t nearly as amused as Mythal was. The Rune Knight General couldn’t help the wry smirk that stayed ever plastered on his face as the young Wren continued to poke the bear. He knew that Lux wouldn’t make a move against the young Rune Knight and in truth, he deserved some of the punishment coming his way. He’d been mouthy more times than not, made situations more tense and dangerous than they should have been. Hanging him up as a punching bag for Wren was catharsis by proxy.

It seemed this secondary storage area was… severely lacking in anything tangible. The robe just furthered condemned the passed man as a cultist and an alchemist, based on everything they had found upstairs. All the remained was the chest and as Wren took it and opened the chest, the two Rune Knights gingerly looked inside to see what had been hidden away. The young Rune Knight explained his excitement over the possibility of more herbs and the Darkness King gave a small, amused smile before the cover was pulled up and open. But instead of any ingredients, there was a cover over the actual contents to preserve them from any damage. As Wren lifted the protective layer, it revealed two books and yet another key.

Wren took one of the books and Mythal took the other, unsurprised to find the same tome he had taken from the body before. It was in slightly better condition – then again, it hadn’t been crushed by a large skeleton either. As he idly flipped through it, in hopes of discovering something new, Wren spoke up about the contents of the other book. Apparently it was a journal of some kind, the written memories of the man that had joined up and called this place home. He’d attempted to become a mage for the purpose of impressing some lady, though it only proved he was thick headed and led to his banishment. Seemed awfully harsh for someone just trying to practice magic and failing but… then again, there were different authorities in different towns. He listened as Wren orated some of the contents, the sad story of how he had been brought in by the cult to feel like one of the many but failing to truly become part of the fold. In the end, he had taken a suicidal mission for the cult, hoping to prove himself worthy in some way.

He sighed softly and shook his head. Dangerous cults like this were… they didn’t see people as actual people. They were numbers; devoted pieces on a board that they could move and manipulate as they saw fit. Given how Wren was reacting, it seemed that the story had hit close to him. Truthfully, it had resonated within Mythal as well. Before he’d joined Fairy Tail, he’d been just as much an outcast as this man. If circumstances had turned differently, there’s no telling what the God Slayer could have gotten into. Mythal reached out and placed his hand on Wren’s shoulder, patting it gently. It may have been unprofessional to cry over such things but sometimes, it couldn’t be helped. He was holding it together as best he could and Mythal wanted to let him know it was alright.

Lux, on the other hand, began to snicker. “So he didn’t feel liked or appreciated and that means he should get himself killed? See, this is why you humies are so dumb. You don’t stop to realize that being liked means nothing to anyone. But oh God, my emotions and my feelings. Wah wah wah. Give me a break,” the Lightbringer shook his head as he chuckled.

Mythal had expected as much from the Seal and chose to ignore it. After a long moment, the younger Rune Knight spoke up again, referencing a page that he had pinned with a finger in interest. Mythal leaned down and read the part Wren was referencing; an odd blurb that seemed to be lacking any linguistic pattern. Gibberish seemed to be the best description of it. But as he focused on it a bit more, he could see the similar shapes and designs, hinting that it certainly was some kind of code. He scratched his chin as he spoke. “Whatever it is, we’ll have to figure that out. The other book is just another copy of the one I already have but we’ll bring it back with us just in case. We’ll take the robe, journal and key as well. If we’re lucky…” he glanced at the tome in his hand. “One of them will give us a clue.”