Rumors

"Hey, hey, did you hear?" An archer with a bow and a pair of short daggers at her waist walked through the outer gardens of Thar-Abbys. Still young, her group of four was heading toward the well-known Thar-Abbys station of the Multicontinental.

"I heard Iris failed her Academy Grade E exam. That’s enough to make my day," one of the boys said, sipping his hot drink. The white snow sharply reflected the sun from the vast, open sky above them. The storm clouds characteristic of the central tower were completely absent, revealing the pearlescent tower of the academy, shining like a watchman over the world.

"No, no... do you mean... that?" Another young warrior, clad entirely in silver and bronze armor, brought her hand to her face. The same scene was repeating itself everywhere, and the anxiety only made the inexperienced young adventurers tense. Other groups walked alongside them, some boarding the train while others returned from their adventures.

"Oh, yeah... you mean the masters assigning completely wrong missions... with difficulties way beyond the other students' grades?" A tall boy, cloaked in a grayish cape and armed with a Klauvra staff—which was topped by a gray boulder—used it to support his stride as he quickened his pace to catch up with his group.

"It must be the story of the fist-warrior... She and her group went to check a report of a large predator on the outskirts of a small town in the P'yi wetlands..." Indignation and anger flashed across the boy's face, only to fade into sadness. The surrounding kids listened closely, trying not to show their interest.

"And... what happened to her? Are they okay?" the archer replied. The others paid attention; even a few outside their group sharpened their ears while continuing their own tasks.

"Well... the professors haven't said much... but out of that group of four, only three came back, and they say she lost her legs. A clean cut, from what they say." The others around them fell deep into thought. Some simply dismissed it as a rumor and walked away, while others took it to heart and clutched their medals. Unloaded luggage piled up nearby; not all of it would be collected by its owners. Some would remain there, unclaimed.

"Uhm, well, that's why we're only going to safe zones, right?" The girl in armor tried to cheer up the group. The others smiled back at her as they chatted and checked their belongings. With a lingering sense of insecurity, the kids boarded the station to begin their journey.

"Enough! Let's not just talk about our comrades' misfortunes like that! Whether it happened or not, we won't know. The masters support us with so much... You, Luan, didn't even have a place to sleep and the academy gave us a house, remember?!" A young man dressed in gray armor with a large longsword halted his steps. Resting his hand on the pommel of his sword, he confronted the cloaked mage.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember... Damn it, he never misses a chance to remind me... Cursed Rax." The cloaked youth wrapped his cape tightly around his fists and his Klauvra, quickening his pace and leaving the others behind.

"Ah, wait, Luan! Rax, you're always like this! You never miss an opportunity to be mean to Luan!" the girl in silver armor scolded the young swordsman before running after the mage.

"Ah, wait, Rhea!" Rax ran after the young armored girl, while the archer stayed behind to buy some bread.

"Wai' for me, don' go!" The young archer, biting into a loaf of bread, ran after the others.

"Run, Nesta! Luan and Rax are fighting again!" Rhea raised her hand toward Nesta, urging her to hurry. The four of them boarded the Multicontinental in a rush, heading to their assignment further north in the vegetable farms of Ifritia.

"Now remember: we are only supposed to drive away pests and wild animals from the village fields. Anything outside the fields is strictly out of bounds." Rax read every line from a booklet of instructions as if they were absolute laws, solemnly lecturing the group while the others reacted with varying degrees of interest.

"Hehe... I think... Rax is pretty excited, don't you think?" Rhea scratched her cheek, listening to the rules Rax was laying down.

"Bah, it's the same old thing. The hurofalcos won't be a problem, we just shouldn't go into the frozen woods or the white pastures; it's easy to get lost." Luan, still bundled up in his gray cape, leaned against a window, staring blankly as trees and houses blurred past the glass, completely uninterested in what Rax was saying.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about, Rhea! I've been your leader for three weeks and I don't see Luan or Nesta taking me seriously! I'm a higher grade than you guys, damn it! You should listen to what I say!" Throwing a tantrum, Rax slammed the book shut, sat down violently, and stared out the window opposite Luan.

"Huh? What's going on? This again? Come on, Rax, are you still fighting with Luan? You should just apologize! I'm not in the mood to do this mission with you two bickering like always! Especially not on this mission!" Nesta, having paid absolutely no attention to anything Rax had said earlier, slumped onto the sofa inside the Multicontinental cabin. The massive cabins, equipped with all the luxuries of a private house, were a favorite among adventurers across Khuarhya.

"Rax! Luan! Pay attention! We've only done missions carrying things, escorting small merchants from town to town, and patrolling roads in the afternoon. This is my first real combat mission, don't ruin it, okay?" Nesta scolded both boys. They merely glanced at each other and turned away to their respective sides, slightly annoyed with one another.

"Hehehe... Nesta, the boys will do their best and behave, right?" Rhea's warm and loving gaze suddenly washed over them, instantly dissolving the tension among the youths, though a bit of friction remained.

"Erm... I don't promise anything, but I'll try to behave." Luan relaxed his grip on his cape, yielding to Rhea and blushing slightly as he avoided looking at her.

"Fine, as long as they stay sharp and support the team, I won't have any problems." Rax tucked away his prized copy of Introductory Regulations for Wood Grades and Beginners.

"So! What are we actually doing on the mission?" Nesta asked, completely ignorant of their objective. Rax looked at her with a mix of anger and worry; Luan tightened his cape again, while Rhea scratched her cheek, as she always did when she got nervous.

"Did you not hear a single word I said? We are going to a village west of Ifritia, to Maghllar. Their livestock has been disappearing in the afternoons and mornings," Rax replied, exhausted from repeating himself.

"Ah, sorry, sorry! It's just that I hadn't finished the cheese pastries we bought at the station. Have you tried them? They are really good, and on Tuesdays they sell ones stuffed with meat and spices! ... Right, the mission, hehehe." Nesta stuck out the tip of her tongue mischievously and smoothly changed the subject. "But don't worry, we'll find the scoundrel who's stealing or eating those poor animals!" Nesta spoke incredibly fast, leaving Rax barely able to keep up.

"Fine... just pay attention. You're the group's scout, and I need you alert, got it?" Rax looked into her eyes; all he could see inside them were thoughts of food and drink. "...Rhea, please help me." Disheartened, Rax turned to Rhea. She smiled at him.

"Hehe, that's just how Nesta is, Rax, but she's an excellent scout. Don't worry, you'll see we'll finish this mission quickly and be back by tomorrow afternoon." Rhea smiled as always, bringing her usual positivity to the group. They all went to sleep; the Multicontinental would arrive at the station very early in the morning.

Flocks of birds swarmed and circled; their shrill cries rose into the sky alongside their massive numbers, which looked overwhelming from the ground. Tall grasslands stretched out into a vast expanse; small, shallow lakes reflected the morning light here and there.

"Hey, Rax," Rhea asked in her usual soft voice. "Hmm? What's wrong, Rhea?" came his always slow, warm reply. "Well, I'm worried... those rumors... You always tell me not to fear, that the professors and examiners at Thar-Abbys are excellent... and... I believe that too, but... what if whatever is happening is out of their hands? Don't you think it would be better to go back to Rondalla? Old Mrs. Ralz might take us in, and... and..." Rhea fell silent, lost in her thoughts. Finally, she gave him her best smile. "Mmmh... no, nothing, don't mind me... I know how much this means to you, hehehe," Rhea said, scratching her cheek again. Rax listened intently.

"Thanks for understanding... I'll make sure we can build a decent life. We just need to reach bronze grade. I heard that's enough to earn a living as a guard for your region, and if we go back as guards to our hometown, we can have a good life..." Rax clenched his fist around his greatsword. The carriage that was supposed to take them to their destination was already a couple of hours late. Luan and Nesta were on a nearby bench; Luan listened to the conversation, pretending to be asleep.

"Huh? It's still not here. We should just walk, Rax. It's not very far, and there's a decent stone road leading to the village." Luan rubbed his eyes, pretending to wake up, and stood up, abruptly letting poor Nesta slide down the wooden bench. She hit her head with a dull thud. "Bonk! Auuuu, a surprise attack!" Nesta clutched her head, writhing from the pain.

"Alright, let's go. Grab your things." Rax helped Rhea up, and they set off down the cobblestone road. The hip-high grass swayed carelessly; a gentle, cold breeze carried the scents of the countryside: water, stone, and moss. Winged mice made long leaps with sparrow-like front paws and mottled wings, casting curious glances as they nibbled on tall seed-heavy stalks.

"Hey guys, doesn't it feel strange? It's suddenly very quiet," Rhea looked up at the sky and then back at her companions. "Rhea's right, the flocks are gone! I'll go a bit ahead to get a better look from that tree." Nesta felt a strange unease; she ran forward at full speed, dropping her luggage bag. Her light frame allowed her to quickly reach a gnarled, twisted tree—the only one along the road.

"Rax, maybe you should see this." Luan pointed his Klauvra toward a clearing beside the road: a destroyed carriage, blood, and fur marked a scene of struggle and defeat. Rhea watched with terror; her heart raced, and she instinctively clutched her stomach against the sudden emptiness. "I-Is that... or was that someone?" Terrified and pale, Rhea clung to Rax's arm.

"No, it's horse fur and blood... it's the coach that was supposed to pick us up..." Rax looked to the right. The carriage had been cleanly sliced in half; notches from claws and teeth were marked deep into the hard Gluco wood, known as "ironwood" by the locals.

"Is that... a feather? I thought it was a sword!" Luan looked not far away. A massive crimson feather, looking like fresh blood and measuring nearly a meter long, lay wedged into the middle of a boulder. "Ra...x... what is that?" Rhea's terror was palpable; she grabbed her massive shield and assumed a defensive stance.

"Everyone stay sharp! Nesta, what do you see?" Rax shouted, drawing his sword. "RAX! RAX, LOOK UP! ABOVE YOU!" Nesta screamed in terror, running back while pointing her bow above the boys.

A shadow, swift as lightning, silent and merciless. The massive creature's eyes locked onto Nesta... Feeling the gaze, Rhea ran to defend her, planting herself in front of it, terrified yet displaying a contrasting bravery. "Rhea... RHEA!" Rax sprinted in desperation, his sword held high; agonizingly long, desperate moments, steps that felt like they would never end.

"It's a Ferruginoso! RHEA, GET OUT OF THERE!" He gripped his sword, ripping it from his hip; his body spun away from where he stood, and shouting in fear, he watched the shadow close in closer and closer to Rhea, but only his voice was fast enough to reach her.

To Luan's eyes, Rhea was beautiful beyond measure; her soft voice and tender warmth meant everything to him. In that moment, an effigy of gold, black, and red loomed before him: stripes over massive muscles, blood-red wings, a beak and claws like burnished steel. The great predator lunged at young Rhea, delivering lethal strikes with its claws. Luan shrieked in desperation, casting the only spell he knew: "STELLA SECARE!" Luan recited at the top of his lungs, pouring all his strength and power into it, letting the incantation drink all his energy and poison his body; nothing mattered more than stopping that massive winged tiger from hurting Rhea. The mana pooled in his body, intoxicating him; he felt parts of his form go numb from the buildup. The price for this ability would be high, but he didn't care.

But Luan was still inexperienced: power does not equal speed, and to a Ferruginoso, speed is everything. With a sweeping twist of its wings, it severed both of Rax's legs, throwing him to the side of the road. The expression on Rax's face said it all: fast... too fast. Just as he took a step, he collapsed, completely unable to comprehend why his legs wouldn't respond. He hit the cobblestones face-first; the dry impact broke his nose. Entirely ignoring the pain, he scrambled up and looked around: neither the Ferruginoso nor Rhea was in front of him.

"Ah... no way..." Nesta's face lit up in the glow of the furious, uncontrolled sphere. It slammed into her chest, sinking into her flesh. The stray Stella Secare, having missed the Ferruginoso, struck the oblivious archer dead-on, sending her flying through the air, spinning until she crashed into the tree.

"Nesta!" Luan fired in a frenzy, and in less time than it took to unleash the spell, Rhea and the giant Ferruginoso vanished. But he did see Nesta's left arm sever and tear away. THUD! The heavy slam of armor echoed as a body fell from the sky, its occupant choking on her own blood in the grass. Rhea reached an arm into the air, her other hand clutching her abdomen; the infinite sky stretched out before her. Life was draining from her due to a massive peck wound to her neck, which bled profusely. With hollow eyes, her mouth silently formed the name Rax.