Chapter 8: Chapter 6: Most Venerable

A carriage rolls along a cobble road, and in the back of the carriage sits Avvy and Aila along with their new acquaintance, Ness. There is an air of silence as the three just sit there. Aila decides to break the silence. “So, Avvy, Orton told me he met you out and about near the Forest of Woe. Do you remember how you got there?”

“Me and my mom were in the forest, and when we came out we found Orton.” Aila starts nodding, and then a serious look dawns her face. “Wait, you were in the forest? It is amazing you are still alive.” Avvy looks down and puts a finger to her chin. “My mother taught me magic, so I would be okay.” 

Ness decides to speak up. “What kind of elements can you use?” Avvy wonders if it would be okay to tell her, but she decides it would probably be fine. “I can use both ice and shadow mana.” Ness brightens up at the mention of shadow mana. “Oh, I can use shadow mana as well. In fact, it is the primary element I use.” 

“I am amazed that both of you can use magic at such a young age. You must be gifted. Maybe you could be enrolled at the Magic Academy?” To Aila’s question Avvy just looked confused. “The Magic Academy is a place where people who are gifted in magic go to learn.” Root answered before Avvy could even ask the question. “Will this Magic Academy be fun?” Avvy whispers to Root. “I think you would find it most enjoyable, indeed.”

The journey continued as the three would occasionally talk about something, but mostly they were just silent while Avvy whispered occasionally. As the sky starts to darken they decide to make camp on the side of the road. As they are setting up their tents they notice another carriage on the other side of the road stop to make camp as well. It is a pitch black carriage with purple trim and a purple fairy symbol on the side. Some hooded figures wearing black robes with the same purple trim step out and approach Avvy’s group. Orton steps in front to address the six hooded figures.

“Evening travelers, do you have some business with us?” Orton asks the hooded figure standing in front. The hooded figure looks over at Avvy and stares for a while before looking back to Orton. “May I ask where you found this girl?” When the man looks over at Avvy her hands start shaking as she grasps at her robes. She felt fear instinctively from this man, and she knew she didn’t want them to be around anymore. Orton looks over to Avvy and notices she is frozen in place, shivering.

“I can not tell you where I found this girl. In fact, I would like to ask that you find camp elsewhere.” The hooded man looks at Orton, grabs his head and starts shaking it side to side. “This would make the venerable one very sad. If you would be so understanding. The venerable one would be very happy to have the information. If you would kindly spare me and give over the information that would make the venerable one very happy. In fact, it would make me very happy, for I would be able to serve the venerable one to the utmost. Do you not understand? This is all for the sake of the venerable ones happiness.”

“The venerable one? I have never heard of it? You are being very rude. You haven’t even given your name.” Aila speaks up from behind Orton. Meanwhile, Ness is wearing her same apathetic expression she has been wearing since the beginning. “Oh right, right, where are my manors?” Suddenly the man bows.

“I am Delta, and I speak for the venerable one. It is the goal of the most venerable one to make us whole, and we seek for our happiness. It would be most pleasing for the venerable one to at least know of the girl's name. If you would kindly do me the honors of telling me the girl's name. Then we would kindly be on our way. Us loyal servants of the venerable one are very busy after all.”

Orton suddenly takes a sword fighting stance. A blue water magic sword forms in his hands. As water starts to drip from the sword. Orton’s face contorts into obvious anger. “There is no way in hell. I will let you get any closer to that girl, nor am I going to give over her name. You best be on your way. I presume you have heard of me?” 

The man starts laughing beneath his hood. “Oh, yes, you are ‘Orton of the Water Sword’. This diligent servant has indeed heard of you…” The man pauses, and the atmosphere grows tense. Now even Ness starts to sprout shadows from beneath her. Avvy is just covering her ears. She doesn’t want to hear anymore of this man speak. 

After a sizable pause the man starts speaking again after a sigh. “Haa, this is very displeasing, indeed. We will make haste for now. We are very busy after all. Hopefully, the venerable one's guidance shall find you. If not, well I suppose it won't matter anyway. We shall meet again, and hopefully next time you are more cooperative. After all, it would be very pleasing to the venerable one.”

The man turns around and makes a gesture to the five other hooded figures; they all bow to delta as they turn around and board their carriage again. The carriage takes off in the opposite direction, and only as soon as it is gone does Orton release his magic. As his sword dissipates him and Aila breathe an audible sigh of relief. Avvy falls to her knees and starts breathing roughly. Avvy had seen the same fairy insignia inside of her continuous nightmares. She didn’t know what this meant, but she was instinctively scared of that insignia.

Ness kneeled down next to Avvy and started rubbing her back. “It is okay they are gone now.” Avvy looks up at Ness with tears in her eyes. Ness has no idea how to comfort someone, so she just stays quiet as Orton and Aila walk over. “Are you okay, Avvy? Have you seen those people before?” Orton asks to which Avvy just shakes her head through the tears. 

Eventually as Avvy’s tears stop, and they set up the campfire she decides to lay in the same sleeping bag as Ness. They didn’t have a spare sleeping bag for the newcomer, and they were small enough to both fit in the large sleeping bag. Orton decided he would take first watch as Aila takes up her own sleeping bag. 

Avvy suddenly grabs Ness’s hand which causes Ness to flinch as she wasn’t expecting it. “Are you going to stay with us, Ness? Promise me you will stay with us.” Ness’s usually apathetic face turns into a bit of a smile for a second. “How could I leave you when you are like this?” Avvy responds by puffing her cheeks. “No, you have to promise, Ness.” Ness just responds by nodding her head which gets a smile and a hug from Avvy.

Ness doesn’t know how to feel in these situations or what to do, so she just returns Avvy’s hug. Avvy quickly falls asleep in Ness’s arms. “Is this how it feels to make a friend? There is a sudden feeling in my chest, but it is a good feeling.” Ness wondered if Avvy would be her first friend. Regardless, she felt like she wanted to protect Avvy especially if those people show up again.

Surprisingly the nightmares don’t find Avvy on this night and she is able to sleep peacefully. As Orton is the only one awake he silently wonders who those people could be. “Who is this venerable one? Maybe someone at the castle would know? Maybe there will be a book about them at the grand library? All I know is that something big is coming, and it doesn’t look good. First the tremors, and now some psycho cultists blathering about a venerable one?”  

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