Chapter 17 - “What Exactly Are We Looking For?”

The Holy Guardian Lord Azure Dragon moved into their room in The Golden Inn. The handsome yet pale Dragon Lord refuses to leave his room and to associate himself with Eu.

He has lost his beautiful Black Opal matrix Dragon's eyes. He is extremely depressed about his situation as his once bright eyes has lost its glimmer.

Once, gazing into his eyes was like looking upon the universe. They are simply breathtaking and mysterious.

His once gorgeous face is now haggard, thin with dark bags under his eyes. He seems to have lost all hope as he remained silent most of the time.

Vermilion left him under Eu's care. Triteia accompanies him while everyone was out to accomplish their duties.

"Why are you still caring for me? I am useless, and I have no reason to come back. I won't be much help to your cause. I am just an invalid, sad, useless Dragon who will drag you down..." he melancholy said.

"Stop pitying yourself. You are a Holy Guardian Lord. Don't give up on yourself just yet. Everyone else is giving a valiant effort, so you could at least hold on and do the same." Triteia sighs as she holds the spoon up to his mouth as she continued coaxing him, "Please, eat. Little Miss hasn't abandoned you, and she is only eight. She is trying her best like everyone else…"

"She is just too naive to understand. This world is way too different… Everyone is just too different…"

"Maybe so… Still, isn't it better than just lose hope and surrender? Not everyone is the same. Why focus on those who brought you into despair?" Triteia forces a smile as she somehow understood him.

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Allies' betrayals caused the Holy War two hundred years ago. Nobody anticipated that their enemies are within their ranks, and they discovered it way too late to react.

Lord Azure was severely injured while most of his men fell. If the Grand Elder Eiteilla didn't interfere, everyone would surely meet a much tragic fate.

Still, injuring a dragon's eyes will lose not only his power but his ability to recuperate. Azure Dragon is a cautious man, and he seldom trusts anyone. He was stupefied when his confidant attacked and injured him to such an extent.

It is most likely that his attacker has no intention for him to recover as he put him on such despair. He questions himself and plays the scenario many times on his head, asking. 'Why...?'

***************

He was silent once again as he waves his hand. Azure Dragon signals Triteia to leave him alone. He lies on his bed as his long silky black flowing hair scatters on his back.

Triteia could only sigh as she placed the bowl of porridge on the side table. She looks at his barely usable dull eyes, hoping he will find inspiration to stand up once again.

"I won't force you to eat, but please take your medicine. Lady Freya is expecting you in better shape when she comes back…" she holds out the rainbow-colored tablet to him, which he accepts and reluctantly swallowed.

The colorful tablet tastes like candy, and he refrains his lips from curving up. It made his chest warm and fuzzy. He does wonders who made such medicine?

She left him as soon as he digested the supplementary drug. Little Eu directed her to convince him to take it at least once a day.

Meanwhile, Eirwen, Seig, and Haru started to assist Little Lady Freya. She is looking for someone elusive in the Celesean mountain path as she finds their skills useful.

It's a cloudy, misty day in the mountain paths of Celesea. It is late afternoon, and it starts to drizzle again. The rocky road is slippery as Eirwen and Haru trek the unfamiliar course.

They can smell the fresh grass and wet soil in the air while the birds sing a lively song. Celesean trees are in the shades of red, orange, and yellow.

It's been days since they started to work with Lady Freya, and she tasked them to search for a particular cave around these areas. They began to recall her words before they partway days ago.

"The cave is probably concealed by magic or heavily guarded. You must be cautious at all times. Celesea is different from Mystic Spirit." she reminded as she handed them supplies for their journey and continued, "If you can't handle the situation .just return and let us figure things out together."

"What exactly are we looking for, Lady Freya?" Eirwen leans his back on the wall as he examines the map she handed over to them.

"You'll know when you see it. Just check those areas. We need to split up for now." Freya said as she hops on her floating grimoire and left with Seig.

Her instruction is vague as the two can't help but sigh. What exactly does she want them to find from those remote areas? Celesea's weather is not the best for expeditions as rain and landslides frequent in those areas.

"Do you think Lady Freya is just playing us for giving such an instruction? We might have seen the cave, and yet we failed to recognize it, right?" Haru started to complain as he kicks a pebble on the road as he continued, "Can't she just assign me to the nearest tavern? I heard Celesean ladies are very charming~"

"Stop whining. I'm almost certain there is something here. We already checked almost everything, so I'm certain we are close to finding it." Eirwen sighs as he ignores Haru's complaints.

He's been whining almost all the ways of this journey, and he is somewhat getting into his nerves.

Just as Eirwen said that, arrows start flying to their direction, and it almost caught him off guard. They can't help feeling trapped in this dense forest with this mysterious assailant.

It is helpful that they were agile enough to dodge the raging shower of arrows. Each attack was barely missing them by a fraction. Both manage to hide behind the trees as they assess the situation. 'Who is attacking them?'

They can't sense anyone, and who is aiming at them. Eirwen decided to transform into his beast form to use his full potential and agility. He jumps from one branch to another as he seeks their attacker.

The leaves barely move or create a sound as he passed. Another barrage of arrows was shot while, flashes of light heading Haru's location. It must only be someone who outclassed them.

Eirwen's majestic, snowy form observes from the highest sturdy branch. His soft fur flutters on the wind. His sharp light blue eyes flash as he finally saw their mysterious and robed assailant.

He quickly jumps off his post as he begins his counterattacks. Unfortunately, they were easily intercepted that made him take a few steps back. He grunted, 'He is fast…'

Another barrage of arrows now aiming at him. He had no time to react but was stopped by an ice wall. An irritated man appeared before him as he confronts him, "Did you just used me as the bait while ago?"

"You are thinking way too much. I can barely follow where the arrows came from, so I need to move as fast as I can." Eirwen denied as he jumped out and attempted again.

The assailant seems like as if he was there but not there at the same time. He moves as fast as the wind as he shoots his arrows once again.

The assault can be compared to a group of archers. The arrows barrage them in all directions and confusing their senses.

Haru both wielding fire and ice as he moves. He is blocking the arrows with his Flame and Ice sword as Eirwen once again tracks the enemy.

He then realized something as he tracks their assailant. He studied the map carefully before they started their quest and memorizes the descriptions.

As he looks around the area, he realized that they were on a location that Lady Freya ordered them to investigate.

'Could it be that this is the sign that we have found; whatever or whoever she wants us to find? She could at least gives us a heads up before letting us charge to these uncharted territories.'

He maneuvers his way back to Haru as he cast an ice barrier and shared his assumptions. The rain of arrows is nonstop as if it is raining outside his barrier.

Meanwhile, Eirwen and Haru discuss their next course of action.

"Can we rest here for a while? I am exhausted…" Haru lowered his guard as he heard Eirwen's thoughts, who transforms back into his human form.

"My barrier can't hold overnight. Why won't you transform to your huge dragon form and surprise whoever is attacking, while I apprehend him?"

"What am I nuts? It would be easy for me to catch those magical arrows on my dragon form." Haru retorted as he continued, "Why won't your snow fox form catch the arrows, while I do the apprehending?"

The rain of arrows stopped, followed by a deafening silence. Haru and Eirwen tensed up from their location. They readied themselves and once again holds their weapons, anticipating their attacker's next move.

"We need to move. I don't like this."

Just as Eirwen said that spears are fired from a ballista. The strong impact has broken through Eirwen's ice barrier.

The wall of spears targeting them separated the two men. They barely avoided anything that this culprit has thrown at them. Haru shouted as he dodges the attack.

"I knew it! That Little Lord is trying to kill us. She intentionally sent us to this onslaught?! She is holding a grudge!"

Eirwen is now in his snow fox form as he leaps up and maneuvers back to the treetops to once again survey the premises. A ballista is way too easier to spot than a person with a bow and arrow.

Finally, he locked on the position of their assailant — an injured woman in a white flowing dress controlling the menacing long-range weapon.

Her jet black hair is tied in a ponytail, and her amber eyes glow as she aims her chosen weapon to her target. Her complexion is white as paper as her breathing becomes heavy.

Like Freya has mentioned, she is near a cave, probably her refuge while she recuperates from her injuries. Behind her are a bow, a crossbow, and an assortment of long-range weaponry. There is also a spear she could use at closer range combat.

He narrowed his crystal blue eyes as he found her somewhat very familiar. It took him a while before finally recognizing her. He can't help chuckling as he rolled his eyes and ease up a bit.

That Little Lord Vermilion should have just say it straight away that she wanted them to meet this another hot-tempered lass on her behalf.