“It’s been three days..” said Eleanor “is he alright?”

“He turned off his comm.. I can’t contact him,” Rein shook his head.

“Her illness must be serious if he’s having trouble..” Kincade muttered.

“Should we visit him?” Rose suggested.

Garland putting down a vase “I saw people observing us..”

“Really?” said Rein.

“3 a clock..” he mentioned “behind the wall..”

“Yeah, i see them..” said Kincade.

“Who-”

“Where?” Dianna looking around.

Garland face palmed.

“Anna.. you fool..” Sierra sighed.

“Tsk! their gone..” said Garland.

“Are you sure they are watching us?” asked Rose.

“Maybe they are just some locals,” said Eleanor “curious with our stuffs..”

“I don’t think so.. they’ve been following us since we left the bar..”

“And you just mentioned it now!?” Sierra yelled.

"Should I go confront them next time?" asked Kincade.

Rein shook his head "We’ll have Asha observed the surrounding.."

Kincade's watch started buzzing, he opened the comm "What's wrong Fab?"

"Is that Fabian?" Rose asked.

"That's weird.. okay."

"What is it?" Rein asked.

"No clue," said Kincade "Gar! let’s go, Fab need us!" he looked at Rein "wanna tag along?"

He nodded. After informing the girls about the situation, they went to the palace. Fabian was waiting for them at the gate. He informed them the mysterious occurrence when each time he rid off the illness, somehow it kept returning.

 

At the Huilon palace, they followed Fabian to the room at the farthest end. When they entered, Rein smelled an intense scent, so strong it made him dizzy.

"What is this smell?" said Kincade "My nose hurt!"

"The gift from that dragonfly lady," Fabian pointed at the intricate jar on the table "For calming the princess. I want to get rid of it because it clouded the whole room-”

"Calming? i have to turned off my receptor!" growled Garland “It worse than a dino dung!”

The girl began hyperventilating. Fabian hurriedly went to her side, injecting a medicine to calmed her.

"Hey! the distort gone!"

"Mine no longer flickering," Kincade mentioned.

Rein looking at them confused "Mind telling me-"

“Wait!” Garland pointed at him "Boss! your shoulder is distorting!"

"Huh?" Rein swatted his shoulder.

"Where did it go?" Garland looking around.

“On that wall!” Kincade shouted.

"That is the cloud surrounding her lung!"

"It’s gone again! what the heck is that!" yelled Kincade.

"Where is it?" Rein asked.

They scanned around the room while Rein stayed back beside the girl.

Fabian jumped and held onto something "Help me! It is slipping away!"

A sound coming from the wall beside Fabian. Kincade punched the wall, creating a big hole.

"That cloud is still there!"

Kincade grabbed a chair and began smacking the wall with it "What the heck is this thing?"

"Let me try!" Garland took over from Fabian “Stay back!”

Rein heard a crackling sound, Garland’s gloves blew into pieces, his hands were covered with electrical charge and began glowing intensely. A silhouette of insect like creature appeared on the wall, it screeched loudly before disintegrating.

"What the-" Rein was shocked.

"It's gone.." Fabian stared at the table "Wait! that cloud! It reforming on top of that jar! Gar!"

Garland electrocuted the jar with his hands and it exploded into smithereens.

"What is that thing?" asked Rein.

"No idea," Garland threw the dust on his hand "Whatever it is.”

"A ghost?" said Kincade.

"There are no such thing as ghost," Fabian shook his head "it must be some kind of unknown creature."

The girl moaned. She stood from her bed, looking around the room. Fabian told her to stay still and examining her.

“She is fine,” Fabian stated.

"That shadow creature was the cause of her illness?" asked Rein.

"Shadow?" the girl asked.

Fabian told her about the creature that appeared from the jar which might be the source of her illness, which horrified her.

She muttered "Curse magic..”

"Curse magic?" asked Garland.

“Yes.. magic have been banned since long time ago..” the girl shivered.

“Is that why medicine can’t cures it?” said Rein.

“Only the shaman who put curse can removes it..”

“Shaman? Like the one in the movie?” Kincade muttered.

“Movie?” the girl confused.

Fabian chortled "There are no such thing as magic and curse, in this mode-"

"Sssh.. do you hear something?" said Garland.

A loud commotion outside, lots of shouting and screaming. The door flew off its hinges and three masked people barged in. One of them began attacking the girl.

"Watch out!" Kincade jumped in front the girl, parrying the swords with his hands, but one managed to stab his shoulder, making a hole on his metal costume. He swung his fist, knocking all of them to the wall. He pulled the sword from his shoulder and threw it away, blood splattered from his shoulder.

"I am sorry," the girl muttered.

“It’s alright..”

"Hold still." Fabian told Kincade to removed his costume before applying a bandage to his shoulder, which immediately stopped the bleeding.

Garland checked the masked people on the floor "They all out."

Rein crouched to the see the masked people face “Who are these guys?”

"Ninja.." Garland shrugged his shoulders.

“From the movie?” mentioned Kincade.

"Assassins.." muttered the girl.

“A curse and now assassins, huh!” said Garland.

Rein’s watch began buzzing. He glanced at the girl before opening the comm.

"Rein!" Eleanor sounded panic “Rein!”

“What is it?”

"Thank goodness! Rein! the town- it’s under attack!"

“Who are you talking to?” the girl looks confused.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Boss? what happened?"

Rein put it on loud speaker.

“Yes, we are taking shelter in the bar,” she said “Laylah- she- i think she went to the palace-”

“Is that magic?” the girl looked at Rein’s watch.

“She did what? Why no one stopped her?”

“I’m sorry, but she’s gone after saving us from the soldier,” Eleanor cried.

“Who’s attacking the the city?” Kincade asked.

"According to the owner, it’s their regional warlords.." Sierra explained.

The princess gasped.

"Is there any weapon?” they heard Rose voice “is that Rein? Rein! Those soldiers went to the palace!”

“Yeah we could hear the commotion..” said Garland.

“We are going to there!” said Rose.

“Stay there,” Rein ordered “it’s dangerous here..”

“But- we have to find Laylah-”

"She'll be fine.." Kincade calmed them "Don't worry about her.. just stay there, we’ll find her.”

"Rein.. so many hurt.." Dianna lamented.

"We'll be there as soon as possible.." he assured them before turning off the comm “Let’s go!”

"Rein! Fab!" Kincade threw a spatula and a handle to them “That’s all I got. I shouldn’t have left my weapon in the ship..”

"Uh.. thanks.." Rein looking at the spatula.

"It's made of Eterlium. Fab! You protect the princess! I’ll take the front! You two guard the rear,"

“Okay,” said Garland.

"Ready?" Rein asked.

Everyone nodded before they head outside and ran to the palace gate. They encountered several masked people fighting with the palace guards. Rein told Fabian to stayed with the princess while they helped the guards.

“Huh?” the masked people said “A bird?”

“And a flying fist!” Garland punched him, sending him a few yards away.

“Nice!” said Kincade.

“Who are you, sir?” one of the guard asked.

“We are escorting the princess to safety!” Rein explained, smacking the masked people with the spatula.