Chapter 77: 2-26 Taken

Erin found herself in an unexpected predicament right after another. The prior predicament was her failed attempts at dispelling the spell cast on the rusted sword she bought. It was a single frustrating hour of no progress. In the end, she set it aside and resumed to her other affairs. One of which the affairs was Celia's accommodation in the Ruvan Church of Quinteburgh.

“Her tails are so soft,” said a boy as he wrapped his arms around the bundles of smooth fur.

“Hey, no fair! I want to touch them too!” said a girl who grabbed one of Erin’s tail

“Her ears are smooth too,” said another boy who was sitting on Erin’s shoulders while playing with her perked-up fox ears.

While Erin had a lot of time to get used to those new features of hers, it was still impossible to endure the onslaught from these children. She had clamped her lips shut to avoid bursting out her laughter from the numerous ticklish sensation she received from these children. Since they were only children, Erin couldn’t exactly pry them off with force.

There were other children of Celia’s age surrounding Erin, all waiting for their turns to have a feel of the Fox-kin’s soft fur.

“She’s good with kids,” said Saphielle the Elven Nun with a warm smile, who was also the caregiver of these orphans. Saphielle’s appearance had surprised both Lyra and Erin as the Elf resembled a matured Nivia by a huge margin. They looked close enough to be siblings, with Saphielle being the older sibling, but they weren’t even first cousins. After some explanation from Saphielle, Elves bore similar appearances to one another from the same forest. While Nivia had a vibrant cyan colored hair, Saphielle’s hair was light blue and much longer than Nivia’s and even Erin’s. Unlike a usual nun, Saphielle wasn’t wearing a hood but she was wearing a nun's attire that accentuates her slender figure well. Also unlike Nivia, there was a pair of modest hump on her chest, bigger than Nivia’s but still smaller than Erin’s.

“She’s probably just a giant toy in those children’s eyes,” Lyra remarked, who was also giving a warm glance at Erin.

“Mrr...” Celia was the only one who was pouting and clinging on tightly to the hem of Lyra’s tunic.

“What’s wrong, Celia?” asked Lyra.

“Erin’s being taken...” Celia muttered with pursed lips.

Both Lyra and Saphielle let out their chuckles.

“When the two of you are done chuckling, some assistance will be nice!” Erin shouted but she tried to keep her voice down from intimidating the children.

It took some effort but eventually, Saphielle managed to get the children off of Erin. The children who didn’t get their turn had downcast faces but their faces brightened up at the next moment as the bell atop the tower of the church rang. All of the children immediately ran back inside of the cathedral.

“What just happened?” Erin stood in her spot with a dumbfounded look.

Saphielle tittered. “It’s tea time. You can join them if you like, Celia,” said Saphielle.

But Celia shook her head.

“You sure? You don’t like sweets?”

“Sweets?” Celia’s eyes widened.

“There’s hot chocolate too with sprinkles of snow sugar on top.”

“Really?” Her lips curled into a smile. She then looked up to Lyra, asking for permission with her beaming gaze and smile.

On Lyra’s nod, Celia dashed after the children, into the mess hall of the cathedral

“Doesn’t look like she’ll get along with the other children,” Erin said.

“She has yet to know them,” Saphielle replied. “Things like this take time, Erin.”

Lyra tittered. “Maybe it’s because you hoarded all of them to yourself.”

“I did not. They come to me by themselves.”

“And you let them, my dear.”

“What was I supposed to do then? Glare at them for them to stop?”

“Ah~ young love. How nice,” Saphielle breathed with a smile. “When’s the bonding ceremony?”

“We are not getting married just yet,” Erin told the Elf, sharply.

“Yet?” Saphielle retorted.

“Yet?” Lyra blurted out the same thing.

“Ah… I mean...”

“Ufufu~” Saphielle giggled. “I’m just playing with you, Erin.”

Another aspect that Saphielle differed from Nivia was that she exuded a mischievous aura rather than a sophisticated one. If Erin had to compare, Saphielle’s personality leaned more to the side of Iris’ than the Elves that Nivia always spoke of during magic lessons.

“Are all Elves quirky or is it just you two?” Lyra asked.

“I believe everyone is different and all have their own quirks. If everyone is one and the same, why bother with names and titles?” Saphielle replied.

Lyra could not find a reply.

“Will she be safe here?” Erin asked, after remembering what they came here for.

“She will be safe. The Ruvans in this town are actually quite amicable. Most of the Paladins here don’t have any prejudice towards the other races.”

“I met one just yesterday,” Erin said. “And I won’t call him amicable. He sounded like he was missing bits of his mind.”

“Ah, him. Lucan, his name is. He’s not from here.” Saphielle beckoned for the two to lean in close to her. “Actually, he’s one of the Paladins who was sent here by the head church to look into the aberrations that had been surfacing during the recent days. The one leading this part is Azaela; well, I’m sure Nivia has already told you about that.”

“Azaela...” Erin gasped. “Is she here yet?”

“She isn’t but I’m sure it won’t be long now.”

“What about this Azaela? Is she like this Lucan fellow too?” Lyra asked.

“I can’t tell. She’s good at hiding her thoughts. Unless you have a penchant for spending every second constantly scrutinizing every passing individual, you would not manage to gauge even the next word she’ll say. But if it’s Celia you’re worried about, you can rest easy. Children don’t really like her but I think Azaela herself is quite fond of children. The only time you see her smile is when she’s around children.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you know her quite well.”

“I was an emissary for my tribe at one point in my life. I had a few run-ins with her. She’s stubborn but not entirely unreasonable, I gather.”

“My real concern lies not with the Ruvans but with Celia,” Erin said. “Did Nivia tell you about her amnesia?”

“I have heard of it from Nivia. Such a tragedy. I’m quite shocked that the girl could still smile. Most children would lose all light in their eyes after that kind of ordeal.”

“She has recollections of those ordeals, occasionally,” Lyra muttered sorrowfully.

“That’s terrible. Her larval mind wouldn’t last at this rate.”

“Mist Pearls, you know about it?” Erin suddenly asked.

Saphielle stared at Erin in shock. “...My dear Erin, you couldn’t possibly be suggesting—”

“I am. Unless you know any Arch Healer that comes cheap and is able to reach us within days.”

“But treading into the basin is suicide, Erin. What am I going to say to Nivia?”

“Stop talking as if my death is already assured once I step into The Singularity.”

“Not even Spirits go into that place. That’s enough of an omen and a warning for us Fae.”

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“What? There’s no Spirits inside The Singularity? I did not hear about this.”

“Now you did, Erin. That place is not meant for our kind. We are at our lowest in that Spirit-forsaken place. It’s no exaggeration to deem that basin as Fae’s bane.”

Erin cursed under her breath. She couldn’t rely on her paltry swordsmanship alone if she wished to stride into The Singularity with the best outcome. She needed every last advantage she could get but one of her biggest strengths, her Spirit Magic, turned out to be inept in The Singularity.

Just then, two children ran up to them. The two did not come from the cathedral but from the gates. Their clothes were soiled with mud and they were out of breath. The look in their eyes was enough for Erin to know something dire had transpired.

“Ah, Billy, Milly, the two of you are very late,” said Saphielle. “Tea has already started. Any later, you won’t be getting any. And— wait. Where’s Ginny?”

“A b-bad man had taken her!” the boy said with a trembling voice.

Lyra and Erin widened their eyes.

Saphielle kneeled down on one knee. “Where?” she asked the boy calmly.

“T-the place n-near that pond,” his voice trailed off. “Y-you always said we can’t go there… I-I’m sorry...” The boy began to cry and so did the girl.

Saphielle pulled the two into a hug and consoled them. “There there, it’s okay. The two of you are safe.”

“Where is this place?” Erin asked.

“Near the slums. It’s an empty park, or at least it looks like one. Nobody goes there since it's situated close to the slums and the smell that leaked from that place repels everyone. Everyone in the slums are either dead or dying. Not even the patrols go there.”

“What shall we do?” Lyra asked.

“I’ll go inform the Paladins and the guards.”

Before Saphielle could leave, Erin stopped her. “Which direction is this place the girl spoke of?” she asked.

As soon as Saphielle pointed northwest from where they stood, Erin cast Fleet Foot and dashed off into that direction. With the fences around the church as the foothold, Erin sprang herself up onto the roofs of the buildings. Her action drew many gazes and attention but she gave no thoughts to them. The girl’s life was the only thing on her mind currently.

She heard shouts from Lyra and Saphielle but she shoved those voices out of her mind.

Quinteburgh was big but the space between buildings was narrow, to make more room for housings to accommodate more residents of the town. This little factor made Erin’s traversal a heck of a lot easier. This wouldn’t have been possible in Green Scar’s town.

To increase her pace, Erin used Lightning Rush, one of the spells she had learned after dumping her skill points into Lightning Magic. Lightning crawled all over her body, increasing her speed drastically but at the cost of maneuverability. But since she was atop of the roofs, she didn’t need to worry about clashing into something.

Not five minutes passed, she arrived at the place the girl, Milly, described. It was a relatively wide-open field but the grasses were dead and the pond in the area was muddied to the point it would be more suitable to call it a swamp. An unpaved road trailed through the unkempt land and into an area filled with despair and desolation. The buildings were on the verge of collapsing and the roads were littered with all manners of trash, even long rotten human remains.

Erin could feel signs of life but none of them were radiant enough to be called truly alive. It was as Saphielle had said, everyone here was either dead or dying.

“Hmm? What’s that sound?” She focused on her ears as a distant clacking drifted into her ears. “This is… hooves and wheels… a cart!”

She spared no moment to hesitate and followed the sound. She couldn’t use the roofs this time as the spaces between buildings were far too wide for her to cover in a single leap. She took her haste to the ground and sped through the unkempt streets, raising clouds of dust, and finally reaching the slowly moving cart that was carrying wooden crates at the back. There were two people on board and two others walking slowly by the side of the cart. The sight reminded her of the slavers she had caught at Maven’s Pass.

“Is this perhaps the same faction?” Erin mused to herself.

Erin did not stop her rush even after finding them. Using Life Sense, she could tell there were children inside the crates. Instead of heading towards the town, the cart was slowly advancing deeper into the slums. Erin thought it to be weird but she gave no further thoughts.

Due to her lightweight body, she barely made any sound in all of her momvements and the slavers were none the wiser of her presence. The two guards were looking around but never at their back.

Just as Erin was close enough for one last burst of speed to reach the cart, a ball of flames came crashing into her from the side. The flaming ball had appeared out of nowhere. Fortunately, her shoulder was only slightly seared as she coated her sword with Mystic Blade and cut the flaming orb.

Hearing the commotion behind them, the slavers didn’t bother looking back and sped up their cart.

Erin was about to follow but another ball of flames prevented her from doing so. This time, she cut it down before it even touched her skin.

“What in the spirits… I can’t smell or hear this.. assailant.”

“Foolish Fae. Do you believe we would be without caution when transporting such important merchandise?” The space rippled and an old man appeared from the rippling space. Wrinkles were abundant on his face and safe for his head, the rest of his body was covered in a robe.

Erin used appraisal and found out the old man’s name was Orlon. The old man, Orlon, was proficient with Space Magic and Fire Magic, as the two were both level five. The old man himself was level seventeen with a single digit in Might and Finesse but his Arcane was twice that of Erin’s.

“Impressive, most impressive. The Faerie-kin are really different from us humans. You lot could even cut magic. I can see where your kind’s arrogance stems from.”

“I don’t have time to play with you,” Erin said and closed the distance in a heartbeat. She swung her sword clad in Mystic Blade at Orlon.

The space swallowed Orlon and Erin missed. The old man reappeared far away from Erin. A small circle mould of magic manifested in front of his splayed palms. Dozens of fire bolts shot out from the circle.

Erin spewed blue flames of Essence Flare from her palm at the fire bolts.

Orlon grunted. “You Faes and your Spirit tricks. Have at this!” he shouted and threw a spinning fire arrow.

The spinning fire arrow plunged through the blue flames, much to Erin’s surprise. Upon appraisal, Erin discovered the fire arrow was further imbued with Space Magic. Erin easily dodged the arrow and threw an Aura Shot at Orlon, but the spell hit an invisible wall and vanished.

The old man chuckled nefariously. “Foolish foolish foolish. You underestimate me, Fae. You underestimate Space Magic. Your Spirit Magic is useless against Space Magic!”

The taunt was typical of someone like the old man’s archetype but nevertheless, it still vexed Erin, considering children’s lives were at stake. As she racked her brain for an idea, she noticed something at Orlon’s feet. While Erin didn’t know what it was but she knew who that “thing” belonged to. “You underestimate Spirit Magic,” Erin said and tossed a Light Drop right in front of Orlon.

The old man was confused at first but realization crossed his mind a few seconds after. The Light Drop exploded into a flash of blinding light.

Erin rushed in at this opportunity. Without using her eyes, she grasped her surroundings through her hearing and Life Sense.

“Naive bitch! I can always escape with my Space Magic— uh?! What!?” The “thing” at his feet coiled around his leg and prevented him from escaping through his Space Magic.

“Thank you, Iris,” Erin muttered and sliced Orlon from the right shoulder to the left waist. She didn’t even wait for his body to collapse and she was already sprinting after the cart.

[Experience gained +30% - Level Progression: 125%]

[Erinthea: Lv 14 increase to Lv 15]

[Skills Points gained +2]

[Ability Points gained +2]

[Level Progression: 25%]

Erinthea - Faerie-kin: Three-Tailed Fox-kin

Level: 15 | Status: None

Might: 20 | Arcane: 22 | Finesse: 19

Magic Arts
Spirit Magic Lv. 8 | Arcane Edge Lv. 4 | Arcane Armor Lv. 6 | Lightning Magic Lv. 4

Combat Arts
Sword Art Lv. 7 | Fleet Foot Lv. 5 | Brawler Lv. 4

Innate Skills
Appraisal Lv. Ex | Night Vision Lv. Ex | Sixth Sense Lv. Ex | Toxin Resistance Lv. 1 | Lust Deviant Lv. Ex

Unique Talent
Mystic Blade Lv. Ex | Revenant Lv. Ex

Level Progression: 25%

Remaining Skill Points: 4

Remaining Ability Points: 4

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