Chương 72: Episode 17: Standing on Business

Snowy mountains surrounded us, their slopes glinting beneath the bright sun. Jagged ice shards pierced the ground like spears, some driven deep into the mountainsides, with pink crystals scattered between them glowing against the snow. Snow Uragas glided across the clear sky. A massive frozen lake stretched beside us, dotted with drifting ice platforms, while snow fell over slow-moving pink and blue glaciers. Eddy stood beside me, gripping the ice spear he'd picked up earlier, his posture firm.

"Alright," he said.

"We don't want to run into any more problems. Our main goal is finding the Lost Gem. Then miracles happen and Zeriath gets saved…" I adjusted my grip on my axe.

"I don't got a map, we just gotta go where the universe tells us to go." I looked toward the cave behind us. Its entrance sat between the mountains, framed by jagged ice and glowing crystals. Eddy followed my gaze, hopped onto my back, and tossed his spear into the snow.

"Well," he grinned, "our next stop might be in there. What do you say?"

"I say that's a bad idea. You just said we should avoid problems."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "but what if the solution's inside? Never know unless you check." I sighed.

"…Fine. Something goes wrong, that's on you." Snow crunched beneath my boots as I walked. Wind howled through the pass, flinging flakes across my armor. I swung my axe, smashing frozen shards that blocked the path as earth energy crackled along the blade.

"Just remember," Eddy called over the wind, "no trouble in the cave, alright?" I didn't answer. T-Ex stepped from behind a large pink crystal, growling under his breath with his eyes fixed on the cave. I rested a hand against his neck.

"…Yeah. Don't like it either." We reached the entrance and stopped. Something felt off—not immediate danger, but something heavier. I tightened my grip on the axe handle.

"I'm going in." Eddy perked up.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Inside, the cave opened into an enormous chamber lined with jagged icicles and glowing pink crystals that lit the ice around them. T-Ex followed us in, his eyes reflecting the light.

"Keep moving," Eddy muttered, tapping my head.

"I am," I shot back, swatting his hand away. We walked deeper. Pink crystals covered nearly every surface, unnatural and out of place. I slowed down. Flash of memory: Fire. Zeriath burning. The sky splitting apart as flames swallowed entire cities. Nomanites running, screaming, falling, their voices fading away. The green light of the Lost Gem flickered, dimmed, and went out. I sucked in a sharp breath as the memory faded, leaving only the cold cave. Eddy shifted on my back.

"…Yo." I kept my jaw set.

"…We keep moving." He picked up on my tone and stayed quiet. The tunnel opened into a wide cavern filled with small igloos buried in the snow and holes running along the walls. The air here was dead still. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. T-Ex suddenly roared, snapping toward a cluster of crystals. An ice sculpture stood in the shadows: a crowned woman, frozen mid-scream. I stepped closer.

"…Queen Stellar." Eddy crossed his arms.

"Nope. Don't even think about it. We are NOT doing this again."

"I recognize her."

"Doesn't mean you break it!" I swung the axe anyway. CRACK— The impact cracked through the chamber, sending a shockwave that slammed me into the wall as snow and ice rained down. Eddy and T-Ex tumbled across the ground. I pushed myself up. She was standing there, alive, with golden armor, pale skin, and her wings spread wide. I stepped forward.

"…An honor."

"You don't need to bow," she said. Eddy brushed off the snow.

"Wait… you're actually a queen?" She hesitated.

"…I was." Turning, she walked deeper into the cave, and we followed.

"I sensed one of the Chosen Ones would fulfill part of the prophecy," she said.

"I was right." I stayed quiet, the vision still fresh in my mind. She stopped at a stone pedestal where an icy blue shard floated, pulsing with faint light.

"This is what I protected," she said.

"A promise."

"What is it?"

"A power." I reached out and touched the shard. Everything went quiet as warmth spread through my arm, accompanied by a faint whisper:" Ingrit." My eyes snapped open.

"What—" Stellar looked away.

"…Tell them I didn't forget him." The ground trembled, sending vibrations through the crystals as a deep rumble rolled through the chamber. Something stirred beneath us. Stone ground against stone, splitting the rock open as a knight rose from the cavern floor, its body forged from jagged earth and stone. Cracks glowed across its armor as a massive blade formed in its hand. I held my ground, fingers locked around the shard. Stellar's voice echoed through the cavern.

"Begin your army… Olsen." She paused.

"Or should I say… Terrai Krai." I looked up, steady and focused.

"…TK."

The underground bunker was quiet. Soft lantern light glowed warm against the walls while Ella sat on a cushion on the far side of the room, tail curled beside her, flipping through one of Bite's comic books. Across from her, Prince was completely out—head tipped back, mouth open, snoring loudly. Every few seconds, a tiny spark of lightning popped from his nose. Zzt. Ella didn't even bother looking up.

In the middle of the room, Archie sat cross-legged, methodically lighting candles one by one and watching the wax drip down the sides. Bite sat beside Ella with her legs tucked in and her wings folded tight against her back. For once, she wasn't buzzing or blaring loud system beeps. Every time Ella turned a page, Bite leaned in, her eyes catching the lamplight.

"You're really into this," Ella said, glancing over. Bite nodded with a small smile.

"It's… nice." Ella slowed her reading pace so Bite could follow along. On the current panel, a hero stood holding someone safely in his arms. Bite stared at the page, her mechanical finger joints giving a faint click as she shifted her hands.

"…Someone like that," Bite murmured. Ella tilted her head.

"Like what?"

"Someone who can protect." Ella didn't answer immediately. Instead, she handed the comic over.

"Here. You hold it." Bite took it carefully, holding the flimsy paper like it was made of glass. Time passed, and the candles burned low as night settled outside. One by one, the room drifted off. Archie slumped forward near his candles, Prince's snoring leveled out, and Ella adjusted her glasses before leaning back to close her eyes. Bite stayed awake the longest, resting the comic in her lap while looking at the hero on the page. Her fingers tightened slightly against the paper.

"…I won't miss," she whispered. She eventually lay back on the floor, folding her wings neatly against her sides. Her systems dimmed to a faint, steady hum, and after her ocular lights flickered a couple of times, she fell asleep.

Rusty stretched her arms to the limit, gazing down at the vista. She yawned and scratched her scorpion tail.

"When are we getting out of here? I'm so bored!" Magnetic electricity crackled around King as he stood alongside her. His red and blue eyes locked onto the dawning sun.

"Locating Xion isn't that simple. He could be anywhere." Darn lay sprawled across the ground, facing the blue-orange sky.

"I just wanna find our leader… and leave this place for good." At the opposite edge of the cliff, Azure surveyed the forest below. Darn turned his head toward him, glaring.

"Hey, Azure! When are we ever gonna find Xion? He's nowhere around here, and scouring this entire world could take decades!" Azure offered no reply. Grumbling, Darn pushed himself up and dusted off his clothes before stepping toward him at a measured pace.

"I… won't ask again…" A bloody tendril uncurled from his spine, reaching outward.

"We've been stranded here for years with nothing to show for it. We'll rot on this rock if we keep searching. It's time to move on." Azure allowed the appendage to brush his shoulder.

"Xion… he wouldn't abandon us. He fought beside us; he recreated us. There's no way he'd just desert the team."

"Well, shit," Rusty muttered.

"Maybe he really did ditch us and we were just naive."

"I hate to admit it," King added, "but Rusty's right. We've been so fixated on tracking him down that we never questioned his motives. It's time to accept it, Azure." Azure's hands clenched into tight fists. A surge of frustration urged him to strike one of them, but he held back, letting out a heavy sigh.

"…We're finding Xion." He turned, grabbing Darn's tendril and forcing it down. Blue flames ignited in his eyes as his glare swept across the group.

"There won't be any stopping."