A Journey Unwanted

[Realm: Uhorus]

[Location: Galadriel]

[Veron City]

The towering stone buildings of Veron stood shoulder to shoulder with rows of sturdy wooden homes, their sloping rooftops decorated with vibrant ceramic tiles that brought small splashes of color to an otherwise subdued city. Though the skies remained smothered beneath the oppressive Abyssal sky, life had not surrendered completely. Merchants still called to passing customers from stalls lining the streets, displaying everything from fresh produce and fabrics to handcrafted trinkets and baked goods. The city’s hub remained surprisingly lively, filled with foot traffic and conversations that were not silenced by despair.

Even so, the difference was impossible to ignore.

The people of Veron were as diverse as ever—humans, demi-humans, and foreign travelers moving through the streets together—but every face seemed just a little more tired than before. Smiles came less easily and laughter was quieter. Everyone carried themselves as though an invisible weight rested upon their shoulders, one that no amount of normal routine could truly lift.

"Mhm."

The four girls found themselves watching Telluris with fascination as she happily bit into a pastry shaped like a fish. The golden-brown pastry was wrapped neatly in brown paper, and as she broke it apart, sweet cream filling peeked from within. She ate without the slightest hint of elegance expected from a legendary being, simply enjoying each bite with a look of contentment.

It was oddly comforting.

There was something profoundly strange about witnessing someone spoken of in old scriptures with such reverence doing something so utterly ordinary. The strongest Divine Beast in existence was not demonstrating unfathomable power or speaking in incomprehensible riddles.

She was simply eating a pastry.

The group stood beside a large brick building whose entrance was decorated with colorful banners embroidered with the image of a steaming teacup, making it clear the establishment served as one of Veron’s cafés.

Unlike Galadriel’s capital, the streets here were considerably more crowded. Citizens continued about their daily lives, though nearly every passerby inevitably slowed for at least a heartbeat when they noticed Telluris. Some stared openly. Others merely glanced before quickly averting their eyes.

It was hardly surprising.

Her beauty bordered on the unreal; the simple smile she carried seemed capable of calming restless hearts.

Mirabella folded her arms, unable to hide the impatience in her voice.

"Did we seriously have to make a pit stop? I know we’re technically not in danger anymore, but shouldn’t we be making use of the time we have?"

Astrid simply smiled, seemingly unaffected by her sister’s frustration.

"I honestly don’t mind it," she admitted warmly. "To be truthful, having the mightiest Divine Beast standing alongside us has made me feel considerably more at ease than I have in quite some time."

Agatha gave a small nod in agreement.

"I suppose allowing ourselves a brief respite isn’t unreasonable," she said thoughtfully. "Especially now that the Abyssal Creatures no longer seem willing to approach this city."

"Of course they won’t," Cor’nella declared confidently, crossing her tiny arms. "Great Telluris has left behind a lingering presence. Creatures of the Abyss may be mindless, but even they instinctively know not to trespass where someone like her resides. They won’t dare come anywhere near this place."

Agatha’s gaze drifted across the bustling streets.

"That is remarkably convenient," she murmured. "If Veron truly remains safe for the foreseeable future, then perhaps we can redirect our efforts elsewhere without constantly worrying about this city."

Telluris nodded gently while taking another small bite of her pastry.

"Quite right," she replied softly. "You needn’t concern yourselves with Veron any longer. For now, the Abyss will avoid this place."

Mirabella eyed her suspiciously.

"That’s all well and good," she said, scratching the side of her cheek, "but I’m guessing this isn’t something you can just keep doing whenever you feel like it, right?"

Telluris swallowed her final bite before answering.

"It would be recognized as excessive interference on my part."

The remaining piece of brown paper rested lightly between her fingers.

Without ceremony, a tiny golden flame bloomed into existence.

It consumed the wrapper almost instantly. There was no burst of heat or a shower of sparks—only a brief flicker before the paper dissolved completely into nothing.

The Divine Beast lowered her hand before looking back at the group.

"My one opportunity for direct intervention should not be spent preserving individual cities," she explained gently. "It would be far better reserved for confronting the source of this calamity itself. That is where my interference will matter most."

Astrid nodded without hesitation.

"I believe that’s the wisest course," she agreed sincerely. "If your strength can truly be brought against the source, then that alone may change everything. Even beyond that, I hope we’ll be able to rely upon your experience and guidance as we move forward."

A gentle smile returned to Telluris’ face.

"Of course," she answered simply. "Whatever wisdom I possess, I shall gladly share."

For the first time since meeting her, Mirabella found herself letting out a quiet breath.

Another Divine Beast, it was not just another ally either, but the one spoken of in legends as the Beast of Beginning herself.

She rubbed the back of her neck before giving a crooked smile.

"So, we’ve somehow ended up recruiting another Divine Beast." Her gaze drifted toward the distant horizon leading back toward Galadriel. "I honestly can’t stop wondering what kind of face Victoria’s going to make when she hears about this."

-------------------

[Realm: Uhorus]

[Location: Galadriel]

[Capital City]

There was plenty of room inside Victoria’s makeshift office, yet somehow it still always felt cramped.

"How interesting," the aforementioned blonde murmured.

Her voice was quiet and almost absent-minded, as she remained seated behind her desk with a single sheet of parchment resting between her gloved fingers.

She had removed her armor sometime earlier. In its place, she wore a simple white buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled to her forearms, black trousers, and high boots. Without the armor, she appeared more approachable, yet any expert would know better than to deal with her.

Fiona being the expert.

"I genuinely don’t understand what’s so interesting about it."

Standing beside her, Fiona leaned forward slightly, still fully dressed in her armor. Her ears twitched once before settling flat again as she narrowed her eyes toward the page Victoria had yet to put down.

"I’m looking at the exact same drawing you are, and all I see is a symbol I’ve never encountered before."

Sketched upon the parchment was a rough emblem.

A twin-headed serpent wrapped itself tightly around a skeletal hand. The bony fingers gripped an ornate scepter whose design had been simplified by the hurried drawing, though its shape remained distinct enough to recognize.

Victoria continued studying it in silence.

"A symbol of..." she muttered, trailing off before the thought could fully form. Her thumb slowly brushed across the edge of the parchment. "...something. Perhaps not merely decoration."

Fiona waited.

When no explanation came, she folded her arms.

"Is that really everything Adrian sent?"

Victoria finally looked away from the drawing.

"It is." A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "He delivered it through one of those aerial demons of his. I will admit, my first instinct was to blast the miserable thing out of the sky before it reached the castle."

She let out a quiet chuckle.

"Fortunately, I recognized it before acting. That would have made for a rather unfortunate misunderstanding."

Fiona sighed. "I’m honestly surprised you restrained yourself."

"Oh, believe me, it required remarkable self-control." Victoria rested the parchment against the desk. "My first assumption was that Adrian was sending some sort of coded message." Her gaze drifted back toward the drawing. "But the longer I stare at it, the less I believe it’s code."

She tapped the image lightly with one finger.

"The proportions are very aligned. The serpent, the skeletal hand, the scepter—it resembles an insignia more than a cipher."

"An emblem?" Fiona frowned thoughtfully. "As in the crest of an organization?"

She looked over the drawing once more, trying to recall every banner, guild crest, and military insignia she’d encountered during her years of service.

"I don’t recognize it. Not even vaguely."

"Neither do I," Victoria admitted without hesitation. "And that’s precisely what bothers me." She leaned back into her chair. "Adrian may be Adrian." A small smile crossed her face. "Eccentric and dull. Difficult to understand even on his better days."

Her expression gradually became serious again.

"But he has one consistent quality: he never wastes effort. If he interrupted whatever he was doing simply to send us this drawing, then he believed it mattered." She paused briefly. "He wouldn’t risk exposing one of his flying demons just to forward something meaningless."

Fiona slowly nodded.

"Which means whatever he found left enough of an impression that he felt we needed to know immediately."

"Exactly." Silence settled over the office again as Victoria’s fingers lightly drummed against the desk. "So the question becomes, what exactly did Adrian see?"

Fiona exhaled quietly. "Without context this could mean almost anything. A forgotten noble house, a cult, some military order or something we’ve never encountered before." She frowned a little deeper. "And I don’t particularly like any of those possibilities. Simply because it’s of no use to us."

"I agree," Victoria answered almost immediately. "Which leaves us with only one reasonable course of action." She slid the parchment across the desk toward Fiona. "We research it. Let’s compare it against every archive we possess. Military records, religious texts, old family crests, historical organizations, or anything remotely similar."

Victoria took a small breath.

"If this emblem exists somewhere, then someone has documented it, and if they haven’t..." Victoria gave a small, humorless smile. "...then we’ll have learned something equally concerning."

Fiona accepted the parchment carefully. "...Right."

Her eyes lingered upon the emblem once again.

The twin serpents, the skeletal hand, and the scepter. None of the individual pieces meant anything to her. Yet together they stirred an inexplicable discomfort deep in her stomach.

She disliked that feeling.

Very much.

Closing her fingers around the parchment, Fiona gave a slow nod.

"I’ll begin immediately."