writer's notes
not too bright about this one during the writing process but hey, some shit’s going down here
this part was sponsored by my weird motivation system (and I tried to hack it, and kinda failed)
and of course my sleepy ass brain and eyes
help (in a comedic way)
I’ll update chap ii story after this part’s poll ends… maybe in this topic directly
I’m in the mood to speak in nonsense and that’s not good
oh god
- Margeret
Greetings, children.
You don’t have to memorize our names — this is simply our project to tell a story together.
We’ll get to know each other after this story ends.
Take your time to sit back and relax, I’ll recap on what happened in the last chapter.
After finding Aurielle by the Exiled’s request, Rael had started training under her teachings for a day.
They headed to New Alalea to meet Aurielle’s other student, Jean.
Later, Aurielle left the two students to stick together and train themselves, and she went to a meeting with Magic Council officers.
As for the students, they were getting to know each other and started training their magic together.
For Aurielle’s meeting, the Magic Council brought up the rising guild — Dark Arts Society. And they were discussing what to do with the guild’s progress.
Aurielle finally got a quest idea for her students during the meeting. But then she found out one of her associates — The Exiled — had been attacked.
This following chapter will follow the next three days afterward, where Aurielle returns to her students and brings them to their first quest.
Oh, and if you were wondering about the last poll from Yussef.
It’s supposed to be the place where would the main enemy come from.
The morning of New Alalea had risen once again, as people woke up and got out of their houses and inns. Or at least, enjoy their breakfast — such as Rael accompanying Jean for this breakfast inside the inn.
It was the first day they actually ate breakfast outside their own rooms. Jean might not like the idea of eating with people too much. But after three days of sticking around and training together, she trusted Rael stick around even after he had finished the meal.
Being the guy who looked after their bags while Jean was eating, Rael asked. “Are you sure Aurielle will return around this time?”
“Yeah. She almost always travels during the morning, and we better prepare our stuff before she returns,” Jean replied as she stopped eating for a bit, before finishing the breakfast.
After Jean returned the dish and was about to return to their table, she noticed a familiar blonde — Aurielle herself — talking with Rael at the table.
With Aurielle’s sight on their packed bags, she smiled. “Remember when I told you to prepare yourselves? We’re having a short trip at the Bronze Grasslands today.”
Knowing Aurielle, Jean knew it wouldn’t be a simple trip. “What’s up in that place?”
“Hmm…” Aurielle glanced around the room filled with people. “I’ll explain the details later. Grab your bags and we’re getting there together.”
.
.
.
During the trio’s walk from New Alalea, following the plains, Aurielle explained, “We’re going to the Bronze Grasslands to tackle down a trail of bandits. And from what I’ve heard during the meeting, they’re getting supplies and materials for Dark Arts Society guild.”
Rael glanced at Aurielle. “So… Like one of those bounty hunter quests?”
“Kind of, I think. This might sound like an odd choice for the magic training, but with the weather and the bandit’s recent reports. I think this will serve as good training for both of you.”
“Wait, what reports?” Jean asked.
“They’re mostly the weapons stuff. Like swords, magic weapons, and even guns. It’s all the things you don’t expect from the bandits in that area.”
After hearing the weapon examples, even Rael had to question that information. “Huh? Where did they even get those weapons from?”
“There were reports of criminals from far north-west regions, like Shangdao and New Mount Olympus. I’m sure those ones are involved with this weapon change. And this means you have to be prepared for the unexpected.”
With Aurielle’s warnings, both Rael and Jean glanced at each other with a concerned look. Before Jean asked one another thing. “What’s the end goal here for this quest? Knock them out?”
“Yeah, that. And possibly halting whatever operation they’re up to. I’m sure the Magic Council members are trying to stop the other bandit regions too.”
After hearing the quest’s information and noticing the high grounds from afar, Rael affirmed. “Alright, I’m down for this one.”
“Me too,” Jean added.
“I trust both of you on this one. You know where to go next, right?” Aurielle asked as her eyes noticed the savanna grasses from afar, and halted.
Both students nodded as a response. And Aurielle let the two head towards their own task in the grasslands, as she bid them a farewell.
“Best wishes to both of you, I’m going to check on someone in Summer Hold. I’ll return soon!”
.
.
.
The sun shined bright upon the highlands in this savanna. Rael didn’t seem to be fazed by the heat despite his vision almost being blinded by the sunlight, while Jean finally had some use for her cloak’s hood.
Rael glanced away from the sun to check on the ruins of bandit camps they’d wrecked, and his bloodied spiked club. It was supposed to be magic training, but he ended up making some of the nastiest destructions with his club instead. But hey, he got to thank Jean for reminding him to grab their route plan and move on to other camps.
On the other hand, as Jean was the one who can actually see things from the plateau without getting the rays in the way, she looked around the grasslands to check the bandit camps. The grasses, the plateaus, and the cliffs — a few, yet decent amount of the wooden bandit camps were still there.
“Hey, I think I saw some people at the arena over there.” Jean looked towards the pillars and ruins on the distant highland. Over there, some structures of wood were built on the ruins, along with some people running around.
Just as Jean noticed the people and vice versa, both Jean and Rael were already targetted by the arrows. They then ducked and rushed towards the arena.
With a high jump spell, Rael flung himself towards the bandits. And he summoned his wood magic’s shockwave upon the arrow shooters. While Jean cast her magic circle and blinded the arena with her moonlight orbs. She then kicked Rael away from an incoming gunshot upon noticing one towards him.
Rael continued taking down the archers with his wood blasts after getting back from the kick. As Jean dashed and knocked out the gunslinger with the light blasts, before helping Rael beating the other bandits.
After a while of knocking everyone down, and really made sure that no one would wake up and continue attacking, Jean grabbed some papers from the crates they destroyed during the fight. Most of the papers were mostly map locations, blueprints, and sketches.
“We should head over there.” Jean looked towards another sizable plateau. From what she could see, combined with what she saw in the map — that area would contain some interesting plans, she assumed.
But as the two were left the arena, a small boy with an eyepatch stood on the pillar, glaring at the two as the shadow laid in front of him.
“Dance.”
A fire magic circle flung the boy high into the air. And as he headed above the two, he swung his arms into a rhythm.
“Swing!”
Both Jean and Rael turned back to the boy’s cry. Before being greeted by rains of beams, along with the boy falling down with an enlarging magic circle on his palm.
Jean zipped a moonlight blast at him as she ducked away from the beams, unlike Rael. And the boy cast out a magic circle on the ground.
“And sway!”
Both Rael and Jean were caught in the boy’s burning shockwave, and they rushed to crash the falling boy back with their own attacks.
With the two’s attacks, the boy ducked down from them. And flung himself towards Rael with a charging attack.
Jean reacted to the boy with light blasts from her, and the boy grabbed Rael’s clothes, swung in another direction to let Rael shield Jean’s attack.
But with the boy releasing his grip on Rael’s clothes, Rael grabbed the boy’s arm and slammed him on the ground.
As Rael pinned the boy on the ground, some armed bandits with blades surrounded the three — Rael, Jean, and the boy.
The armed ones started to attack Jean. As the boy blasted Rael’s grip away with the burning blast with a grin.
“Everyone’s here, huh?”
- take care of the boy by himself
- take care of the armed bandits with jean
- flee?
- somehow talk with the boy
0 voters
