Chapter 6
THE WINDOWS HAD BEEN thrown open to allow a warm breeze to flow through the lobby as Mira descended the next morning. The weather was picnic-worthy, and she was in high spirits as she anticipated the upcoming adventure—finally, a chance to show off the true essence and power of the summoning arts!
After retrieving a packed lunch from the dining hall, Mira walked out of the hotel and into the crowded town square where villagers and adventurers were going about their business. Making her way to the meeting place in front of the guild, Mira looked around for Emella and Tact. It seemed that both had yet to arrive, so she made herself comfortable on one of the chairs outside the Mages’ Guild.
“Hrmm, what’s all that?” she muttered a moment later as she saw a boisterous throng of onlookers.
Men and women, young and old, were clustered around something in the small square before the guild buildings. She wondered if it was another zombie, but the sudden cries and cheers emanating from the crowd quickly put that theory to rest.
Losing her interest, Mira pulled out an apple au lait and sipped at it absentmindedly. Soon, the large clock in the plaza showed ten o’clock—their planned meeting time—and yet her companions were nowhere to be seen.
“What’s the holdup? Why are they both late?”
Mira searched the square to make sure they weren’t posted up at a different location, and she noticed the strange gathering was still milling about.
Some sort of street performance? she wondered as she stood to investigate. Just as she did, a rather familiar young boy came bursting out of the crowd, tripping over an errant foot and dropping the two copper coins in his hand. He immediately scrambled after them.
“Well, if it isn’t Tact. What are you up to?” she asked, stooping to snatch one of the rolling coins.
“Oh, Miss Mira. Good morning!” he replied as Mira held out the wayward coin. His smile was radiant.
“That accounts for you, but where’s Emella?”
“Oh, she’s over there.” Tact pointed back at the crowd.
That made sense; Emella must have arrived earlier and was killing time by watching whatever performance was going on in the crowd’s center.
“Miss Emella! I found Miss Mira!” Tact yelled out as he ran back into the mob.
A few moments later, Emella shouldered her way out of the crowd as well.
“Oh, you’re here. You should have said something.”
“Are you serious? How was I to know you were caught up in all that?” Mira shrugged and sighed.
Emella turned and looked back, smiling wryly as she clasped her hands together in apology. “I’m sorry! I never imagined so many people would show up!”
Something seemed suspicious about the proffered excuse, but just as Mira opened her mouth to comment on it, another voice interjected.
“So is this the girl the vice captain was going on about?” The crowd parted, allowing a large man to pass through.
He stood and looked over Emella’s shoulder at Mira. His heavy metal armor shone with a dull luster and he wore a gauntlet decorated with a scarlet bell. A metal war hammer slung across his back was nearly as long as the man was tall, and it spoke to his uncommon physical strength—yet he had a good-natured look about him. His close-cropped red hair and stubble lent him a wild, rough-cut edge.
“Ohmigod, she’s adorable!” squealed a woman in purple robes, bouncing up and down to Emella’s right.
Behind blue-rimmed glasses, her green eyes shone with desire. A scarlet bell was embroidered on her sleeve, and Mira realized this must be the emblem of their guild. Hanging at her waist was a staff nearly a meter long.
A quick glance at her face, framed by green hair that hung just below her shoulders, would give the impression of some intelligence…but her disturbingly lecherous grin ruined the effect.
“Seriously?! Where?!” called another man as he pushed his way forward through the throng. “Whoa, cutie alert! A little on the young side for my taste, but maybe in a few years…”
Mira returned the lightly armored man’s up-down look with one of mild disgust. He had ear piercings and brown hair tucked under a green bandana, which was decorated with the now-familiar scarlet bell. Despite his lack of manners and flirtatious flair, he was tall and handsome. Two daggers sat on his hip, and he wore an open-front black jacket and camouflage pants held up by several belts.
“Who’s this?” Mira asked in annoyance with the sweep of a hand to indicate the three newcomers. The only thing she knew was that they were obviously acquaintances of Emella.
“These are my guildmates! The Écarlate Carillon’s finest!” Emella responded, clearly proud of her friends and companions.
“More like the only ones available to take the job,” the handsome rogue muttered with a sly grin.
“What was that?!” Emella turned to lightly punch him as he immediately began trying to play it off as a joke.
“I’m Asval. Well met, young lady,” the large man said, undeterred. His stern face was belied by a faint smile and a voice filled with warmth.
“And I’m Flicker! Nice to meet you.” The young woman adjusted her glasses with one hand and offered her other.
“I-indeed. I’m Mira.” Mira reached forward warily to shake Flicker’s hand.
The moment they touched, Flicker broke back into her lecherous grin. With unexpected strength, she tugged Mira in for a firm embrace. Mira found herself trapped in Flicker’s arms.
“Little adorable Mira, is it?” Flicker gushed. “Look at how pudgy your cheeks are! Ohmigod, you’re so adorable.”
Mira moved to escape, but she was held in Flicker’s vise grip as the other magician poked and prodded at her cheeks. Her evasions were useless, and the pokes kept coming.
“Emella, do something!” was all Mira managed to say as she squirmed in Flicker’s hold.
Emella turned from scolding the playboy and smiled bitterly before smacking Flicker over the head with a forceful chop.
“Sorry about that, Mira. I asked her to keep her hands to herself.”
“Yes, I’d prefer as little of that as possible,” said Mira as she took the opportunity to jump away from Flicker.
The blow must have been quite powerful—Flicker was holding her head with both hands and looked to be in agony. Despite that, she was still trying to move closer to Mira, but Asval stepped in to put himself between them.
“I’m Zephard. But you can call me Zef!” said the rogue with a dashing smile. He’d managed to sneak up behind Mira noiselessly, and she turned to find him kneeling down to match her height. Mira was startled but impressed.
“I’m Mira,” she blurted out as usual before turning to Emella once more. “So why are they here?”
Guildmates hadn’t been part of yesterday’s planning session.
“They’re here to help!” Emella responded, as though it were obvious.
To Mira, the Ancient Temple might not be anything more than a low-level hunting ground, but for everyone else, it was a real threat. No one in their right mind would venture into a C-Rank dungeon without a full party. After they parted ways the previous evening, Emella had rushed to recruit her guildmates for the adventure.
Mira wasn’t opposed to the additions—quite the contrary, in fact. It had been a long time since she’d PUGed with randoms. Their surprise appearance caused her a pleasant twinge of nostalgia.
“Hrmm, very well. Shall we set forth?” Grabbing Tact’s hand, she began to walk off, only to find her path blocked by a wall of onlookers on every side.
Écarlate Carillon was a guild of renown, and when four key members of the group appeared together, they were bound to attract attention. Now that the group had an adorable girl in tow, the crowd’s interest level grew even more.
“Miss Emella, you’re amazing!”
“Give us a pun, Flicker!”
“Don’t get too cocky, Zef!”
“Next round is on you, brother Asval!”
“Is that girlie a new member?”
“Hey, Zef, be careful walking home at night!”
Cheers and jeers came from all sides, but the guildmates were clearly used to it. Emella waved at the crowd while Asval smiled and laughed. For her part, Flicker stayed focused on Mira. Zef tried to keep a low profile—an impossible task given the circumstances.
“Always the same old abuse,” he muttered.
“All right, you lot! Follow me!” called Emella above the noise of the crowd. With her right hand raised, she advanced forward and the crowd parted to clear a path. The party departed to shouts of encouragement.
“Yes, ma’am!”
Mira lurked in the safety of Asval’s shadow and marveled at the level of celebrity these adventurers seemed to have.
***
An hour later, the sounds of Karanak had fallen behind them and they passed through a forest to the north of the city. As they emerged into a clearing at the base of a cliff, a series of giant statues stood to meet them. Countless forms had been carved directly into the rock wall, which stretched out in a line far beyond where their eyes could see. They looked human at first glance, but closer inspection revealed this was not the case.
Before them lay the entrance to the Ancient Temple Nebrapolis.
“Well, time to get to it,” said Emella as she looked up at the statues and steeled herself for what was to come. “Zef, you’re up first.”
Mira’s demeanor was quite the opposite. She gawked at the scenery like a tourist, squaring her memories against the reality laid out before her.
“Okay, off I go,” said the rogue as he muffled his footsteps and slipped into the temple.
Though unlikely, there was always a chance that monsters might lurk inside the ritual hall serving as the dungeon’s gateway. The party waited patiently outside until Zephard’s voice echoed, “All clear!”
The rest of the party entered the ritual chamber and found a spot to relax after their march from Karanak. After a short breather, Emella addressed the group.
“Okay, let’s go over the plan once more. Our target is the Hall of Darkness on the fifth level. That’s where we’ll find the Mirror of Darkness.”
“With all due respect, Miss Mira,” said Asval, “I’m not all too familiar with summoning techniques, and the fifth level is home to some heavy hitters. Will we be able to handle that?”
Écarlate Carillon had delved into this dungeon before, and every member knew it took a well-equipped and well-prepared party of experienced adventurers to make it to the bottom. They were some of the guild’s best, but there were only four of them and a summoner of unknown ability. Asval’s frank question wasn’t unfounded.
“Hrmm. Looks like I’m going to make this raid an educational experience,” Mira boasted with a smug smile.
If Écarlate Carillon had the celebrity and status that she suspected, then convincing its members to recognize the power of the summoning arts it would be another step toward restoring her discipline to its former glory.
“Really, now? I look forward to it!” Asval said as he rechecked the party’s potions and various tools.
“Asval and I will take the vanguard. Mira, Tact, you stay in the middle. Flicker and Zef will follow up in the rear, all right?” Emella looked at each member in turn to confirm that they understood the plan.
“Understood,” said Asval, inspecting the grip of his war hammer.
“Got it!” chirped Flicker as she shuffled through a deck of what looked like tarot cards.
“Aye aye,” came Zephard’s response. He was smearing some sort of oil on his daggers.
“Okay! Yes, ma’am!” Tact looked both hopeful and apprehensive at the same time.
For her part, Mira simply gave an aloof wave of her hand and muttered, “Fine by me.”
Emella nodded with satisfaction at each answer before removing the sword and scabbard from her waist and placing it into her Item Box. Then she withdrew a different weapon and hooked it to her arming belt with a satisfied smile.
“Hey, isn’t that the captain’s blade?” asked Asval as he saw it. The rest of the group looked up in surprise.
“Indeed, it is,” Emella said, pulling the sword from the scabbard. The double edges shone with a pale white light and tiny motes of stardust fell from the weapon’s edge, dimming as they made their way toward the stone floor. “When I told him where we were headed, he let me borrow it. This should greatly improve our chances in here.”
“Oho. Is that a light spirit blade? Very nice, indeed.” Mira stepped closer to look at the sword.
“Well spotted! It belongs to the captain, but like I said, he lent it to me.” Emella looked mesmerized by the sword. As she returned it to its scabbard, the flecks of light clinging to the blade were extinguished.
The pale white shine was a giveaway that the blade was light-attuned—but this blade bore a rather unique history. While most light-attuned swords were created by adding pyroxene ore to the alloy, Mira could tell that this was a much rarer holy sword of exceptional quality. While a warrior like Emella could tell the blade was special, a mage such as Mira would be able to determine more specific qualities of the weapon.
Each spirit blade bore the holy blessing of the individual spirit that sanctified it, and the weapon would bear specific modifiers related to the spirit involved. Armor could be blessed as well, though that was less common.
While Emella, Asval, and Zef might have thought Mira well-read, Flicker cocked her head and looked at the girl with an appraising eye. Only a powerful mage could have made that discernment at a glance.
“I’ll leave the heavy lifting to you, then!” Asval smirked as he stood, hammer slung across his back once more.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time!” Emella grinned back before calling to the rest of the party, “Let’s go!”
Following her boisterous call, the rest of the party surged to their feet, and they headed toward the altar, which served as the entrance to the first level. The altar supported a conspicuous-looking crystal ball, and the air beyond seemed to be covered by an opaque film, looking almost like frosted glass.
Taking a step forward, Mira pulled her card case from her pouch and thought back to Eurica’s instructions. She pressed the entry permit to the surface of the crystal, and instantly, the film vanished to reveal a set of stone steps descending into the dungeon.
“Hrmm, neat trick,” Mira muttered as she stared at the permit. The sigil had vanished, leaving only the name of the dungeon embossed on the card. Mira returned the blank card to her case.
One by one, the party descended the stairs, with Mira bringing up the rear.
“All right, here we go! Wonder if we’ll find any loot?” called Zephard.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” admonished Asval. “We’re here to escort them to the Hall of Darkness.”
“Yeah, I know.”
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