Miranda, the only invited person from Penchant, greets us after the main celebrations. "I guessed right that you all would be a fitting choice for Penchant," she says. "You may just be mentees right now, but I'm very close to giving you a permanent position in the guild."
My heart races at the thought of truly belonging to a guild. "What would we need to do for you to accept us?"
Miranda contemplates for one moment, crossing her well-built arms. "Well... you need to impress me one more time. That's it."
My party and I contemplate Miranda's words as we head to the final element of the Grand Wedding. The Saria Hunting Grounds are famous for their particular brand of monster, the Sprite, which is almost harmless—if not for its ability to cast a delusion if it gets too close.
"They say that the person who slays the most Sprites will get a reward," Princess says. "We have to win this."
We follow the procession through the villas, until we reach a place where the wards let up. The Saria Hunting Grounds consist of a large clearing decorated with large balloons, sculptures of various monsters, and a decent amount of bushes where the Sprites usually hide.
Note, the rogue instructor, looks like he was forced to host the games. He scowls in every direction. With parents from both the Golden City and Xin, he could be an older fusion of me and Juno. He certainly wishes to be anywhere else when he says, "As you have probably heard, the person who slays the most Sprites will receive a handsome reward. I will count down from ten before you can enter the hunting grounds."
He begins to count down, and I ready myself to jump into the fray.
"3."
"2."
"1."
Along with the other wedding-goers, my party and I jump into the grounds and take our place by one of the bushes. Almost immediately, a Sprite begins to form. Unlike the more bloodthirsty Pixie, the Sprite looks like a little ball of light with just a slight imprint of a kind face. I take care to stay far away, in case the monster hits me with its attack, which can sometimes disorient an individual for several minutes. It glows pink and white, showing off its ability to shift to any color it wishes. It floats languidly to Princess, who steps back immediately.
Mist blasts the Sprite with fire, almost setting the whole bush ablaze. He's rewarded with the Sprite disappearing and dropping its multicolored core. I rub Mist behind his ears, a bit afraid of when he grows older and can set a whole house to ashes with one breath.
The activity is only meant to last twenty minutes or so, a good activity to burn off all those calories from the feast. I want to win, of course, but I'm also aware of the parties who slay the Sprites as easy as breathing, jumping from one bush to the next.
"Keep going, guys!" Avery says, as she slashes a Sprite in half. The Sprites make only a little harping noise, like the highest note of an off-tune guitar.
After another five Sprites slayed, I let my guard down. Perhaps a bit too much so. A rogue Sprite lands straight in front of me, and I raise my staff too late. It covers me with its delusion magic.
Slowly, the other people in my vision, including my party, slow down. Until they freeze entirely. It feels like time outside my little bubble has halted. I look around. I find Lyla and Braxton nearby, looking like a couple truly in love as they face the Sprites—probably with no goal to win the prize. The love radiates off their faces, in the way they both turn toward each other, as if the other contains a wealth of mysteries.
Between them, the brother god appears. He looks annoyed in his outfit of a fitted white suit, but his handsomeness and beauty stun me once more. As he approaches me, I realize that he must've taken control of this Sprite's delusion.
"Why must you show yourself to me again?" I ask, trying to keep a straight posture, if only to appear less afraid in front of him.
"I told you, Hope," he says, smiling in between words. "I have an interest in you. What's the fun in leaving you to celebrate at the Grand Wedding alone?"
I almost bite my tongue into drawing blood. "You already have what you want."
He tilts his head, flashing his water-like eyes at me. His platinum hair looks styled by the same hairdresser that I saw yesterday. "Really? Maybe. But I haven't helped you achieve what you really want to, Hope. You have some emblem of power, yes, but you're not at the place of your dreams. You're not a true hero in the light of all these people."
"What do you suggest?" I ask, watching as the people beside me shift into slow movement again—including Juno, Princess, and Avery, who stretch out their hands to me as if warning me of the Sprite.
"I suggest that you follow my lead." He points behind him, to the famed couple of the Grand Wedding. He smooths out his suit, smiles at me again, then disappears, leaving me wishing that I could behold his beauty once more.
The Sprite is taken out by Mist who jumps up and bites it in two. Are you okay, my imprinter?"
I nod, not keeping my eyes off Lyla and Braxton. "Thank you, Mist. I'm fine."
"What did you see?" Princess asks, rushing to my side.
I cannot answer. I watch as a fiery Sprite emerges between the couple. With no warning, it spins outward, and I know that this must be a mutation. A piece of evidence that the brother god really exists, that Blossom World stands on the edge of change. The Sprite has a malicious looking face, unlike the normal ones. As Lyla and Braxton only have eyes for each other, the monster takes advantages by perching just a foot or two behind them. If it expands, I know that it will cause the mage and warrior harm.
"Hold," I say.
I direct my mana toward the mutated Sprite. Instantly, it is held in place, its fire just barely withheld from the couple. My pink mixes with its burning red, and I feel the caress of the brother god, as if he touches my cheek and brings his breath close to my ear.
Lyla spins around rapidly. And with her staff, she casts a Claw skill that completely obliterates the monster. She drops down and studies its darkened core.
She turns to me, and both she and Braxton raise their hands, signaling something.
I watch as one of the elders casts a ward. Immediately, the Sprites disappear. Wards like this, by the powerful elders, can last for an upward of an hour in a monster-infested area.
"We were just attacked by a mutated Sprite," Lyla announces. "This mage here may have just saved our lives, because its energy was far more malicious than a usual monster. He may not have won the hunting ground game, but I have another reward for him."
The other wedding attendees watch as Lyla slips off her necklace and takes off a ring that was attached to it. She leans in, giving me a whiff of her gardenia perfume. She whispers into my ear, "Give this to your future lover, and you will find a bond like one that Braxton and I share."
I take the ring. It's a plain gold, but it looks luxurious. A simple engraving of vines decorates the interior.
In awe, I watch as Lyla takes Braxton's hand. The game was cut short, but a party in the top five guilds ends up winning the prize, a necklace fashioned from the core of a Sprite. But I can't help but think that my party is the true winner. Not only did we save Braxton and Lyla... now everyone knows who we are. Mist's presence made that all the more possible for us.
Could the brother god actually be trying to help me? If he is truly related to the goddess, a part of him has to be pure. Wholly good.
Back in the villa, Juno gulps and looks between his clasped hands. We all sit around the common room. Mist stands at attention, glancing out of the window as if we will come under siege soon.
"I have a lot to explain," Juno says.
Avery sets down a cup of coffee for Princess, gesturing to the other cups that she already placed. "Let's drink some first. Today was quite a day."
The bitter earthiness clasps around my tongue. I've never had a taste for coffee, but it does help me before I hunt monsters. Funny enough, it never affects my or my party's sleep. I try to lose myself in the steam rising up from my cup. It reminds me sorely of the sauna and the bathhouses. In the latter, I felt entirely at ease and connected to Juno. In the former, I gave much of myself away.
"I guess I was like a lot of you," Juno says, setting his cup down gently. "I wanted to go to Halo Island to escape. Becoming a rogue meant that finally, I would make a decision completely on my own.
"I come from the Golden City, and I haven't lied to you about that. The Golden City is the only country that still holds onto a royal family system...."
Princess' eyes widen. "Don't tell me—"
"Yes." Juno's voice rises, as if he wants to hammer in the truth. "I come from the Golden City royal family. They never wanted me to leave, not even to get the blessing of the rogue and to return. They wanted me to prepare to become the heir."
"The heir?" I choke out.
Juno gives me a gentle nod. "Yes. My sister is the eldest, so she would've taken power one day. Except, she cursed both of my parents, which is unforgivable in my country. She can no longer be queen."
I share a glance with Avery and Princess, and my throat feels like it has been laden with spikes. Eventually, I say, "You will eventually have to rule then."
"Yes," Juno says. "Although I dishonored my family by leaving, I didn't commit anything grave. If I returned to the country, I would eventually be named the heir."
Avery shakes her head, closing her eyes tight. "I wish you would've told us. Did you think that we would have treated you differently?"
"I wanted to escape, like I said before." Juno breathes a thin stream through his mouth. "I wanted to escape in every sense of the word. I didn't even want to think about what awaited me back home."
"Does this mean that you won't be in our party?" Princess asks with a tinny voice.
"I'll do everything I can to stay in the party," Juno says. "I may have an obligation to rule one day, but the oath of a party is also great. I won't be leaving any of you."
A sense of relief rests on my shoulders. "That's good."
Juno gives one of his signature warm grins. "I'm glad that I got to tell you guys. I never intended on hiding it the whole time. I just... wanted to be a rogue that could build up his own reputation. Starting anew."
The girl's words at the wedding come back to me. "What's this about a Grand Wedding in Miria?"
Juno laughs a little bit. "Don't worry about that. It's just... I was meant to be engaged to a famous mage in the Golden City. She wanted to rush the process. Don't worry—I am not attached to her in any way. I'm actually summoned to return home soon. I will delay it as long as I can."
It's like he stabbed me straight into my ribs. So he really is meant to be married? To a famous mage? I can't quite wrap my head around it. My party and I continue to sip our coffee, talking only about the grandness of the wedding today, how it felt that we were part of a fairytale. But while talking about Braxton and Lyla, I only can think about Juno and this lady that he's meant to marry and spend the rest of his life with. While sitting on a throne far above what I will ever reach.
It almost suffocates me.
Our kiss under the tree comes back to me. Did that mean nothing to him? A Love Crown formed. That means he had to feel something too. A Love Crown does not form based on a one-sided love.
We retire past midnight, and I lie awake thinking about the rogue in my party. I imagine seeking him out right now. Climbing into bed with him. Letting my imagination give way to reality, to actually feel the contours of his body against mine. I imagine both of us, completely bare like we are in the bathhouse, holding each other tightly.
To distract myself from my arousal, I turn around in my bed and watch Mist again, his form rising up and going down with every breath. His ears twitch. He uncurls himself, sitting up fully alert. I sense something, imprinter. Something very bad.
I get up quickly, fending off the dizziness that comes with that. I stand near my window and squint. In the distance, a little orange flame starts at one of the Saria villas. It's quickly spreading. Fire?
"Will you see what's happening?" I ask Mist. I push my window completely open so that he can swoop out.
Afterwards, I race down the hall to wake Avery, Princess, and Juno. They all come to attention and grab their weapons. We head outside together, just in time for Mist to scream in my head. It's the Following! I think they want to burn everything in Saria down.
I watch the cathedral catch flame too, as if someone hit it with a fiery arrow. In the air, I sense the chanting of the Following, carried into the wind like the most miserable form of music.
I guess I could never fully escape them. They will stick to me always, like slime at my feet.
The other parties also awaken, called to attention by Mist's keening. I shout out for as many people as possible to hear. "The Following! They've come to burn down the city."
Some parties run in the direction of the Following. Probably the braver ones. They will try to subdue them, even though they are barred from casting their skills against other human beings. But what's the use of that? The fire will continue to spread even though the perpetrators are subdued. Only the firefighters of Saria could offer any help now. And there is no such skill that uses water—none of the fighters here could be of any use.
I share a look with Juno, Avery, and Princess. We have to escape.
I completely wanted Hope and the party to enjoy the Grand Wedding more! I just love when Mist swoops in to save the day. What do you think about Juno's secret? Do you think that he had the right to hide it?
Please join me in the next chapter, and let's cheer on Hope together!