CHAPTER 433: ARC 6, CHAPTER 49: THE DAY’S ENTERTAINMENT

Wisping through the cave wall was a large yellowish ghost that became more visible as it floated towards Forallei and hovered next to her.

Sat on its lap like a throne and her head leaning on her own gloved hand was the spirit-mage they had met prior. The frills of her fanciful gown of yellows and deep blues drifted beneath the ghost she so comfortably lounged on to one side.

"What has you up in a tizzy?" the blasé voice asked of the four-armed woman. Her silverish-violet hair tumbled to the side her head dipped to, and she raised her chin by the bare minimum amount so that the brim of her opulent hat did not obstruct her view. "Ah."

Jotou put on a wider smile with her lips still shut till she spoke, "Ceridwen~ It’s rude of you to leave in the middle of a conversation you know," Jotou played with an accent to match Ceridwen’s.

Ceridwen’s pupils alone shifted to glance at Forallei, "Did I not forewarn that this outcome was possible?"

"Aww, you think of me~? That’s so sweet," Jotou’s voice went a little higher as she leaned against the railing. She watched the runes carved into Ceridwen’s porcelain-like skin glow and dim over and over.

"You are perturbed by this one’s game?" Ceridwen almost sounded disappointed—the comment directed at the other while ignoring the blonde. "She is a fascinating specimen, I admit, however," she cared not to finish her sentence.

"I am well aware of her ploy, do you take me to be that daft?" Forallei glared.

"Well, ’my ploy’ is to tell the truth really. I don’t get the whole cult thing, seems like a power trip and in all honesty, you’ve just not tried to convince me beyond, worship you. Isn’t there like a, I don’t know, a scripture or somethin’?" Jotou budded in.

"The circus has come; you behold now Ceridwen, this afternoon’s entertainment. I merely am motivated to kill the clown," Forallei’s gaze stared down at the blonde who gave a small wave. "If one is here, the colony is nearby."

"I leave that to the prince’s perusal," Ceridwen yawned and fell back into her ghost-sofa more. Her head lolled to the side towards Jotou, "You do not shriek at me; I prefer this tone. Perhaps the former agreement of my own wishful thinking could be fulfilled as well?"

’The prince?’ "Hmm, you’re extremely beautiful that I might be inclined to bow down in worship, but I’m sorry to deny your request~" Jotou giggled.

"Flattery?" her usual half-lidded eyes rose up a little alongside her thick lashes. "Tis not an avenue worth venturing forth into, however, one does acknowledge it."

"The gall," Forallei sneered down at the blonde. "I grow weary of your impudence. Be gone or be killed."

"Or if you would prefer," Ceridwen lifted a single hand up and produced a pen of ivory make and rune-like engravings. "I believe you can ascertain what this offers you," the corner of her lip tilted up ever so slightly.

Before Jotou could answer, Forallei turned to the spirit-mage and her poised demeanour began to break, "What are you doing?"

Ceridwen’s eyes darted to her and she hushed, "The way to break that spell."

"Who now falls into the ploy of that insect?"

"She is more useful as a thrall than an inconvenience."

"You do not get to make that decision."

"I do not believe I was requesting your approval," Ceridwen’s eyes waned more. "Besides, she will not-" Ceridwen noticed out of the corner of her eye, that something was missing below.

Forallei turned and looked down, only to realize Jotou was missing from her previous spot. The blonde had made a silent dash towards the octagonal pillar that wailed.

"How vexing," Ceridwen uttered lazily.

"You are to blame for this," Forallei hissed, her voice just about to growl.

Ceridwen rolled her eyes.

The growl turned into a shout, "Stop her! Halt the Thundering Blade!!"

All the cultists only now gave Jotou their attention, picking up whatever weapon available at their disposal, whether that be a wrench or a hidden flintlock... Most of them trembled or were examining her rather than interposing.

’These aren’t fighters. These cultists must just be for other tasks, but the more armed ones might be around.’ Jotou drew her blade in a flourish and sparked from head to toe in an instant.

From the above walkways, Forallei leapt over the railing. "Clang! Wob-wob..." The entire walkway Jotou stood on shook as greyish-silver stone broke the four-armed woman’s fall, emerging from the catwalk as if a meteor hit.

Without even having to stop her stride, Jotou was able to push away or intimidate any cultist who could make it to her in time. The mesh walkways all connected to central walkways that circled around the octagonal pillar, throughout various heights.

Jotou stared at the ebb and flow of the light, now up closer. The wails were not wails, they were... harmonic. Wisps of greyish colours swam and danced upwards to the sphere, behind some form of transparent barrier, that was not glass upon inspection.

No time to examine though. Her sword droned with lightning that sucked in the air around giving a chill and making hairs stand on end.

However, while Jotou aimed for the pillar, she spun around with the spell humming through her blade. "BLASTT!!" She instead shattered and burst through the incoming wave of greyish-silver stone.

The thunder echoed past Forallei’s hair, rippling throughout the cave walls. The cultists were forced to move away lest they be casualties, while rubble from the cave ceiling drizzled down.

Jotou now beheld the approaching woman, as greyish-silver armour crawled up her limbs, coating herself in stone that made her figure much larger.

The blonde tilted her head, "Oh don’t worry Forallei, you need only do nothing to tend to me, I mean, I’m not doing anything significant, right?" she aimed her sword for the pillar once more.

Meanwhile, the other team heard the roar of thunder hit them. "That has to be the signal, right?" Clyde queried.

"If it wasn’t when all the goons rushed over, or when we heard Jotou talk loudly, or when we heard that clang, it has to be this, I think?" Ben, assured?

"That’s usually her signal, we should go," Asobi whispered and moved forward. The sound of footsteps followed after, all of them sprinting towards the continuation of the ashlar labyrinth now that the commotion was elsewhere.

"One need remind thee that I nominated to progress subsequent to the foremost indication," Tiffany uttered, being the first one to enter past the steps.

"Woah-aoh," everyone became visible, revealing Asobi holding a hand on her forehead and wand clutched tight.

"Sobi," Hotaru immediately held the magician up by the shoulder. "Rejuvenate," she splashed across her cheek. "What’s happening to you?"

"Mmmh, I feel a little better," she let go of her head.

"Alleviate Migraine," Hotaru attempted to cast; drops of water surrounded Asobi’s temples akin to a glowing blue halo... The spell glowed dimly and the water was thinner than usual. The water then dissipated into the air, the spell complete.

Another two slight grunts came from behind the red-armoured figure. Clyde held the side of the wall and his other hand pinched his brows, while Colwyn swayed from one side to the other.

"Tis plainly obvious that this labyrinth instigates harm upon those of elven descent, I need not a detective," Tiffany stated.

The wolf-girl shook her head and dismissed, "That can’t be right, Jotou’s not an elf and even she felt something strange. I’m not feeling anything like these three, but my spells do feel less effective."

As she finished her sentence, the next reply was cut off by a chill from the bricks. A high-pitched whistling that drifted past their ears like a howl.

"So much mana, this nearby?" an eerily low, nasally and croaky voice crept into their ears, but did not echo through the hallway. It sniffed as if it’s hunger was finally was met with food.

"Reveal thyself!" Tiffany spun around. "Face mine wrath, for I am Stella Vespertillio, the Child of Void within the Sea of Stars!" though she proclaimed loudly, she had no target no matter how much she turned.

"Hmm," the voice contemplated. "An appetizer before the main course..." it grew softer around Tiffany, Ben and Hotaru.

"EEP!" Asobi yelped as the sensation of being smelled grew more persistent by her pointy ears. "Get away you creepy weirdy air voice! My perfume’s not for you and I don’t even wear perfume!" she swung her wand around like a sword in both hands.

"Oh blessed days," the voice crawled around Colwyn, making her shift uncomfortably towards her brother. Clyde put an arm around her and held her tightly before perceiving every seam in the bricks.

"One has not tasted the mana of an elf in nearly two decades," the male voice sounded like it was salivating. "One of them so delicious," it hovered around Asobi. "Another a great meal," it drifted towards Colwyn. "A, ’twill do I suppose," it was a bit disappointed around Clyde.

"I feel offended even though I shouldn’t," Clyde leered at the ceiling.

"An elf without an affinity... It is rare, which would make one think it to be more delicious, however..." it sighed.

Ben unsheathed the sword off of his back and brought it forward, "This place’s sucking out our magic!"

"What gave that away," Hotaru’s eyes glazed over.

"That teleportation totem, it was an elf, right? It has to be connected!" Ben tried his best to ignore the redhead’s comment.

"Let’s get out of here and where Jotou and Meko are then," Asobi stuck close to the wolf-woman.

"One’s visage?" the voice queried curiously to Ben’s observation. "One has long forgotten one’s reflection. Be one’s eyes." "DFFF!!!"

While ahead of them there was a path previously, a wall pushed out from the side and blocked said path. The blocking wall opened up, revealing a new path that turned rightwards.

"Let us not..." Colwyn opposed, subtly shivering.

Clyde held her within both his arms, "We can’t go, it’s an obvious trap. Let’s join the Blade in the fray, we can do better there."

"I think Jotou would rather us explore what’s here, she can handle herself and Fumeko is with her," Hotaru argued.

"You’re not the one it wants," Clyde flashed a slight glare in her direction. He then quickly corrected his face, "Sorry."

Hotaru’s ears folded down, understanding his concern.

"I don’t know if Mr Creepy Wind Voice is gonna let us go easily," Asobi adjusted her top hat.

Ben turned to the twins and looked at them both... His brows tightened just a little and through his eyes, he saw... enough; something clicked in his mind.

His shoulders became less defensive and he kneeled down in front of them. "Twinsies, I know it’s scary."

Both of them watched his face, not hidden by a helmet.

"But, we gotta do it, even if we don’t like it. I’m here," he looked back, "They’re here. Jotou’s out there fighting who knows what. If we want to be in legend, we gotta take risks.

Doesn’t mean we can’t keep ourselves safe. Trust me," he gave a firm glance to Clyde. "We’ll make it out of this," then looked to Colwyn. "I got you, you got me, we’re a freaking team."

They could see every inflection of his lip and every dart of his light grey pupils. The twins looked at each other for a moment, before giving Ben a nod.

"No living entities lie forward. Moreover, the tempestuous voice evidently is able to hear us. Shall we proceed?" Tiffany stood by the new entrance with her arms crossed.

"We’re only gonna get answers further in. Even if we’re hurting, we can handle it. I guess that means less using magic," Asobi took a step forward. "Aww, I hate that," she drooped. "Let’s go everyone!" she then skipped past the pale blonde.