[CHQ] A Story Just For You

[mitchermitcher]

Dream World/Auburn

The baker house, the guard tower, the city with roads entirely paved, it was a world that seemed so alive. More than even that however, were the people around the two as they strolled. Some were the poor and homeless laying on the sides of the street path, while others walked past without a second thought. The variety of people in this era astonished the boy.

 

He was eventually led to what seemed to be a restaurant establishment. Ierne had dragged him by the hand, somewhat excitedly, to here. Perhaps a slight gluttonous streak, or a preference for foreign food? Both? Seated in, they began conversing once more. For a moment, Ierne had a slip of the tongue and called him Myrdain, which made him think. "Do I resemble him? Myrdain."

 

"And well..." There was no harm in being more open to someone who was just part of a dream in the first place, but that thought never crossed his mind. Auburn had lost sight of the dream so long ago, his heart was instead concerned with how much to tell. He was certain it wouldn't hurt to open to Ierne, except that divulging information from another era carelessly might cause unnecessary confusion. "As I have said, I'm from a faraway country. I was born there, and I've not traveled out until recently in fact. Most of the world still feels new to me, I can barely separate the world as I see it in my mind. So I'm unsure what I should say about myself..."

 

"Hm... I can't get into the details of where I came from for various reasons, but I can at least tell you a bit about my family. I have an older sister. She's a very talented person, both magically and otherwise. She's also very nice, she was very patient with me for as long as I could remember. And of course, her appearance holds up to those other categories as well. In every way she is a splendid person, worthy of awe and admiration. And our family has plenty in both wealth and members, so prestige was a hugely important matter. The main family's eldest daughter is possibly a genius on the level of those that appear only once a century or so, so my parents loved her. " He grimaced unwillingly as he mentioned the next part however. "They didn't love me as much though. Both my parents and the more distant relatives, but especially the latter. I cannot do magic, so I became the weird second child. That really annoyed me, so I left on a journey, and that's where I am now."

 

"But do not misunderstand! I love magic, possibly more than anything." Sensing he may have ruined the mood with his own bitterness, Auburn tried in his own way to bring the conversation back up. "The one who can't use it properly was me, my own self is what's wrong, not magic as a whole. Rather, magic is what gives me something to strive for. One day I'll become an amazing mage and make the family members who looked down on me regret it. One day I'll become good enough to stand proud alongside my sister."

 

"It is so. Magic is my raison d'etre, I have come to realize that. Surely, surely should I reach my desired endgoal I'll achieve happiness. That's why, being here now in the capital of so much vast knowledge, I am unimaginably excited." His eyes began to shine with excitement, ones that showed his honest thoughts out in the open. "I want to know, Ierne. Why do you desire to become a fair and just monarch? What drives your raison d'etre?"

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"What plan?  How do you know my name?  Who are you?  What are those shadowy creatures that seem to like you..."

 

"Ah...so...I actually had my familiar spy your guild for a while, and right now...well, suffice to say, a witch was trying to take over my mind, using little miss Mira as a way to get to me."

 

One of the shadows attempted to lunge at the dream mage, but he summoned what looked like vines from the ground to bind and crush it. Using that made him look visibly weaker however, and he wouldn't last longer if this kept on going. The little girl that led Dmitri there stared at the sight with an empty look.

 

"Ah, little Ierne... she shouldn't see me like this...

 

Dmitri, right now I think I don't have much time left with me, but if we can sort this out, I should be able to reestablish full contact with the rest of my mind and I'll be able to get you and the others to seek out the root of the issues. I think my backup plan had told your friend about the situation.

 

Sorry for dragging you all into this mess, but I figure that an outside help from a source I can trust would be able to cleanly solve my issues. A bit selfish, isn't it?"

 

---

 

"It's not that you're similar with him, but I'm a bit too used to only talk this privately to him. Sorry, I was just getting a bit carried away."

 

Ierne listened attentively to what Auburn said about himself after sorting out her earlier slip. The mention of having a more talented sibling and how she was pretty much night and day compared to Auburn visibly drew a reaction from Ierne, who looked a bit at unease for a short while. Though, as Auburn told her about his own view on magic and how he didn't despise it even if he wasn't able to perform any of it, Ierne was considerably lightened up. She appeared to look uplifted with his words, and she seemed to share the excitement that Auburn radiated. When Auburn asked him about her own reasoning though, Ierne's light dimmed and she looked a bit more down than before. Her words became more whisper like when she continued her sentence.

 

"...I don't think I really should say things like this wily-nily, but since you're from... I mean, since you're a foreigner from far away, and a nice one at that, I guess I can say it to you.

 

I never really dreamed of becoming a monarch. I used to be an orphan living on the same alleyways that we passed by earlier, trudging around to look for anything edible I can grab to last me for the day. I made friend with someone from the palace though, and he often let me hang around secretly there for a while.

 

Not long later, the king became sick and passed away suddenly without any heirs. The country's best mages communed with the gods to see who's deserving of replacing him, and the gods apparently said that the one worthy of becoming the next king would be someone that could lift the king's sword from his deathbed. Of course, many tried and many failed, and one day when I was playing around the castle, my friend jokingly got me into the testing room but left me behind there when he got called off somewhere.

 

When he returned, he saw me waving around the sword like it's just a piece of stick.

 

Everything was strange. Uproars happened, but in the end because it was the gods' will, everyone ended up accepting me in this position... though none of them really respected me yet, for understandable reasons. All of this felt way too grand for someone like me, and even with Myrdain trying to tutor me the best he could, I don't think I'd really be suitable as a king.

 

I never dreamed of something like this. I just wanted to be able to not worry about having something to eat. But now that I'm stuck in this position, my only aspiration is I guess to not disappoint everyone that had trusted me with this. I'm really just a good for nothing pretend ruler, but... to wish to see my people smile, it's not that bad of a wish, isn't it?"

 

Ierne let out a sigh. Telling a stranger that much was of course not the best course of action she thought of, but from the look of it, she definitely looked like she needed the release. Was this part of Myrdain's memories, or was it an actual dream, something Myrdain constructed as a scenario to go inside of his mind? At that time, Auburn would feel like some sort of distortion happened to everything on his sight for a few moments, but nothing seemed to change as far as he could see. The girl before him still looked the same, and there were no shadows walking around the streets even now. Although, the distortion was somewhat different from the earlier distortions had Auburn paid attention to it. Whatever it was about, Ierne decided to continue talking.

 

"I'll just have to try my best in the end. Even some people had seen that I have the capability when I put the effort to, so maybe I'm just worrying about my origin a bit too much. Perhaps I'll be able to use magic well with a bit more training. That should apply to you too, Auburn. Enough attempts, and you should be able to reach what you thought was impossible.

 

Say, do you have any other questions?"

 

[spoiler=OOC]

Neph or Windy, one of you either please post or PM me your next direction. I'll post your part immediately afterwards, but right now I'm not in a position to.

 

This quest is close to being over btw. It was originally going to be much longer but I remembered that this was supposed to be an early game quest so some adjustments were made. If all things go well, two more rounds and we'll be facing the witch.

 

I'm sorry for all the schedule slips.

 

 

[Astolfo]

Ro & Mina

---

“So, you have any idea which door we should take? There’s only three to choose from.

 

Ro looked out down the hall. From what he could see, one led to a dining hall, another led to a fancy trophy room, and the last led to a bedroom that seemed like the one the guild members had started out in prior to entering the dream.

 

Mina looked at each of the doorways, she thought on each of them and turned to Ro. “You think we’ll be able to meet up with everyone if we head through to the bedroom?” she asked him. Ro glanced at her as he rolled the thought around in his head. “Perhaps? But it seems like a better bet than the dining hall or trophy room.” He motioned for her to lead. “Ladies first…? Or something of that sort you humans admire. Chiva-whatever.” The word lost on the tip of his tongue, he shrugged, obviously not having cared too much about it.

 

As he moved to follow her, he paused, suddenly calling out towards Mina. “Aren’t you a little too… young to be inviting a man to a bedroom alone though~?” Ro smirked, gesturing towards his chest region as he pointed out her age.

 

She rolled her eyes as she turned to the door, she was about to put an electrified bullet in him if he kept this up. She stepped forward and went into the bedroom with Ro. The bedroom was the same as when they arrived at the mansion, of course, there was no sleeping girl or strange dream mage in sight this time around. “Looks the same as before, though we are in a dream so… I guess look around?” Mina said with a rather unsure look on her face.

 

Ro took a few steps, making it immediately apparent that the floor was unusual. Even with someone as unnaturally light of a weight as him, the floorboards creaked, not attached down at all. His suspicion grew, causing him to tap his heel on the ground. A hollow echo returned. He glanced at Mina, scrutinizing her face to see if she understood the implications. As Ro moved to peel the floorboards back, he noticed another oddity out of the corner of his eye. The bedroom window. Looking out, it was no longer the landscape it once was, but now a strange cityscape. Waving his hand to grab her attention, he pointed out the shift in scenery to her.

 

“Floor or outside?” Ro questioned Mina.

 

Mina thought on Ro’s question for a second before she turned her attention back to the floor. “I say we head down…” She knelt down and started to pry open the floorboards. Upon doing so, a hidden passage was revealed. It was too dark to see anything, but it was clear that it went down quite a long distance. Unfortunately for the duo, there were no handholds or anything of that nature either, but rather just a crudely formed free-fall of a tunnel. Ro looked at Mina critically.

 

“You really want to jump down there?”

 

A small smile formed on her face. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You want to escape this dreamscape and free this girl or not?” she asked him.

 

Ro looked at her bewildered. “But I don’t care the slightest about this girl honestly. But a job’s a job so I figured we might as well get it done right.” A grin formed on his face as a thought popped up in his head. “Lead the way, o’ tiny miss!” With a sudden, unexpectedly strong push from behind, he sent her stumbling towards the hole. Running, he grabbed the scruff of her shirt as he jumped down, cheering loudly.

 

“Last one there’s a rotten egg!”

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Dream World/Auburn

Although he knew not for sure what the royalty thought of his story, she seemed to agree with it but it could certainly be just good manners. Even so, Auburn found himself honestly heartfelt and sympathetic to her plight. "A bad wish? Not at all. At the very least it's more selfless than my ow-"

 

It was then that Auburn felt his field of vision distort, even if only for the slightest moment. A light headache assaulted him, although the surroundings, including Ierne, seemed unchanged. For a second, he worried the dream was breaking up and that he would have to separate from this world, from this girl in front of him already. He didn't want that.

 

"M-mm... Other questions... " Auburn tried to think. The small distortion just now reminded him fully that this moment was only a recollection of someone else. Yet he couldn't give up on the girl here who was just a part of the dream. "Sorry to take this back to Myrdain, but what are you to him? What is he to you? Would he consider you someone precious enough to remember years from now?"

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

Auburn

 

"I hope that was really as selfless as what you perceived my words to be."

 

The girl did not seem to react to Auburn's sudden headache or the momentary distortion happening around them. It mostly was somewhat expected as she was merely a part of a recollection, replayed over another man's dream.

 

"What am I to Myrdain? I don't really know much how he sees me, but for me, he's my precious treasure, the best friend I would ever have. He meant too much for me, I won't ever be able to forget him. As hopeless and messy he is all the time, he's the only person in this world tht I can fully trust."

 

Ierne paused for a moment, seemingly reminiscing about her time with Myrdain. At that time though, a rumble could be heard on the distance, and it made Ierne stopped her trip down the memory lane to turn back towards Auburn with a satisfied expression on her face.

"It really has been nice to spend some time with you, Auburn. Seems like someone managed to get Myrdain to sort his mess up now, and the time for the end would be soon." As she said it, the girl before him had her form distorted, and her form would turn into the king that he saw on the horseback when Auburn first entered the library. "It might be a bit unsightly of me to pretend that I am not self aware about my own nature here, so I beg your pardon on that.

 

I wish you good luck in your ventures. May the gods bless you with the light of knowledge, and may it lead you to a path of mastery over magic."

 

With a gesture, the king ordered Auburn to go where the rumbling was. As he left, Auburn could see her giving him a last proud but sad smile before the restaurant and the king's form dissipated on the distance. Traveling through the city, Auburn would see its form distorted and bent rapidly, showing the development and expansions and the damages done to the city throughout the years. The people passing him aged within seconds before crumbling right before him, and for a split second, he would see the city being razed to the ground before it was quickly being rebuilt. Soon he would find a plain door being the unchanging constant in the city, and entering it would lead him towards the bedroom where he and the others started in.

Just, with a seemingly bottomless big hole on the floor now.

 

---

 

Ro & Mina

 

The two would find themselves tumbling down the hole for quite a while. It was completely pitch black at first as they lost the light from above, but soon they would find themselves being illuminated by images and scenes passing through them, all from Myrdain's memories. Most of those were inconsequential or perhaps mundane - just the memories of his past daily life that he had forgotten for the most part.

 

After a while however, they would suddenly find themselves stop falling, suspended mid air for a moment before what was underneath them seemingly solidified like the ground. A dim light would then light the area on a line right in front of them, making it clear that a tunnel had been spontaneously formed before the two. Following it right towards its exit would lead them towards the hallway of a palace.

 

They could see soldiers talking with each other on the side, guards standingg motionlessly while still watching over everything, decorated knights passing by alongside their servants, and miscellaneous other people going around doing their own thing.

 

Soon however, they would hear a scream of pain from one of the side paths on the large hallway, but at the same exact time, they would also hear the sound of a lock breaking right at the large door at the end of the hallway.

 

Wherever they chose to go, they would have the feeling that this quest was nearing its end.

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Dream World/Auburn
"The only person in this world that you can fully trust..." Auburn repeated those words to himself. For some reason he couldn't explain, the words weighed on his heart. For unlike the royalty sitting before him, he could not readily think of someone who'd fit. His sister? Certainly, Auburn respected her greatly but she was an existence above his own. But he could not think of anyone else.
 
For just a moment, he felt very lonely.
 
Reality brought him back from his thoughts, as Ierne's form began to flicker. And this time she seemed to be aware of it. "Ierne? What are you talking about?" Even moreso than her wavering form, her words confused him.
 
And so the girl transformed into the king he saw from the window in the library, right in front of his eyes. Instinctively Auburn felt it. This was her true form, and she was aware of everything all along. That this was a dream, and that he was but a guest. But was she too a figment of this dream? He couldn't tell. The true form of Ierne, now more regal, smiled at him. Although he wanted to ask her so many things, he refrained except for just one. "...Is it really not possible to take you along with me?"
 
I want to be with you more. Of  course, those last words Auburn lacked the courage to voice out.
 
Again he felt he would not be able to take Ierne out from this dream. Strangely, acknowledging that lightened his heart somewhat. "Hmph, alright. Ierne! Listen well. I definitely will not give up. I will become a full-fledged magician one day. You, the monarch of this lost kingdom, have encouraged me. This favor I, Auburn Peachfield will not forget. You may be but part of a dream but to me your words were real. I'll prove you right someday, without a doubt!"
 
Ierne smiled for him one last time, and in return Auburn grinned, beaming with arrogance but also renewed confidence.
 
His heart resolved, the boy stepped towards the rumbling sound without looking back.

---

As he proceeded through the city, the surroundings quickly deteriorated, from lively buildings to war-torn wreckages. With his own eyes Auburn witnessed the fall of Ierne's beloved kingdom. 
 

To wish to see my people smile, it's not that bad of a wish, isn't it?

 

He remembered her words. With every step, the changing scenery pierced his heart as if Ierne's desire was his own. The burning ruins of a civilization a lone girl wanted to protect with all her might. No, even so he believed that the girl will succeed. That she did succeed. Her kingdom may have fallen, but the girl surely must have tried her hardest to save her people. Although Ierne's kingdom ended, her subjects must have been happy under her rule.
 
Before long, the scene changed again. The kingdom was rebuilt. What was once Ierne's kingdom was replaced by new people, new kingdoms, and new kings. Auburn moved on.
 
Eventually, Auburn arrived before a door. It was familiar, yet strange-looking door. It alone felt distinct from the rest of the dream's landscape. Auburn pushed through it, and found himself back in the bedroom he started at. There was no one else around.
 
In front of him was a large hole that wasn't there previously, and he couldn't see the bottom of it. Looking at it, Auburn felt a feeling of finality beginning to settle. This dream and quest would end soon, and this hole would lead the way. "It's been too long a dream, hasn't it?"

 

The potion brewer was ready. He steeled himself, and leapt down.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

"Ah...so...I actually had my familiar spy your guild for a while, and right now...well, suffice to say, a witch was trying to take over my mind, using little miss Mira as a way to get to me."

 

Dmitri scratched his chin, nodding in response to the answer.  However, he still wasn't sure about all of this.  Why was this man the target of the Witch's pursuit, and why was he in Lady Mira's subconscious.  A lot more questions had been raised than answers.  Before he could think some more on the topic, a shadow creature lunged out at the old man.  Dmitri's hand flung up on instinct, but a vine had easily subdued the demon.  Looking back to the old man, he could see that using minor magics still took a tole on his body.  Dmitri decided to place small prisms in front of the remaining shadows, something to distract them and getting too close for the two.  

 

"Ah, little Ierne... she shouldn't see me like this...

 

Dmitri, right now I think I don't have much time left with me, but if we can sort this out, I should be able to reestablish full contact with the rest of my mind and I'll be able to get you and the others to seek out the root of the issues. I think my backup plan had told your friend about the situation.

 

Sorry for dragging you all into this mess, but I figure that an outside help from a source I can trust would be able to cleanly solve my issues. A bit selfish, isn't it?"

 

"What kind of Mage's guild would we be if we didn't have people relying on us."  They would be broke.  Dmitri flashed him a peace sign.  "Thank you for your patronage!"  Dusting himself off a bit, he pinched the bridge of his nose.  "Now, we're wasting time.  How do we fix all of this.  How do I help?" 

[Astolfo]

---

Ro

---

As the two fell down through the seemingly endless drop, the darkness gave way to light, shining from all around. Looking around revealed they were from someone’s memory - Myrdain’s, Ro recognized, after a few glimpses. They were small memories from just everyday life, and yet… Something about it stirred an… unusual sensation in Ro’s core.

 

Soon enough though, their ride finally came to an end, slowing down to a stop mid-air, before being gently dropped. Shortly afterwards, a light lit up a pathway towards what appeared to be an exit. With no other real choices, Ro motioned for Mina to follow him out. As they moved through the makeshift doorway, they were greeted by the sight of a royal hallway. Richly adorned, it was an image befitting that of a palace.

 

Looking from side to side, Ro could see soldiers, guards, knights, the knightservants, and randoms who were probably rich lords or ladies. Before long though, another unpleasant twist of fate would interrupt the two. A loud scream rang out from a side hall branching off, while Ro’s ears picked up on the sounds and vibrations of someone breaking through a lock, far down at the end of the hallway.

 

Glancing at Mina, Ro’s eyes were deadly serious. It seemed she wanted to go after the scream. Ro signaled the way down and a thumbs up, before motioning towards the origin of the lockbreaking sounds.

 

“You got this, Milly. I’ll handle the intruder. If the stars will have it, we will meet again, and not in the next life. Now go!”

 

Pivoting on his foot, Ro sprinted down the hallway at full speed at breakneck speed. Ro’s eyes were as hardened as glacial ice as his body began to glow slightly with a disturbing green aura. If the intruder was a malicious one, they weren’t going to get away scot-free.

 

---

[Wind Rider]

The fall seemed to last forever before more of the dreamscape passed by the two guild members. The fall eventually ended with Mina and Ro landing softly on... Nothing, it felt like solid ground but it looked like empty space. A light shined ahead of them as if a door had opened and Mina hurried, along with Ro, towards it. The sight was as if they were sent back in time to when the mansion was more lively, knights and noblemen and women chatted along the halls as servants hustled and bustled from room to room.

 

It was oddly normal, that is until a frightening scream could be heard coming from a branching path in the hall. The faint sound of a lock breaking also caught Mina's attention on the other path, though she was more intent on finding the source of the scream more than anything. Ro seemed to know her opinion on the split paths as he took the path where the lock sound came from.

 

“You got this, Milly. I’ll handle the intruder. If the stars will have it, we will meet again, and not in the next life. Now go!”

 

Ignoring the fact that he got her name wrong again and that he pushed her down the hole in the floorboards earlier, Mina nodded in agreement. "Good luck on your end, Ro..." And with that, she rushed down her path towards the scream.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Now, we're wasting time.  How do we fix all of this.  How do I help?"

 

For a moment, Myrdain jerked out a bit with annoyance for some reasons, but he calmed soon afterwards after realizing that the small prisms had distracted the shadows.

 

"Thanks to the efforts of your friends, my familiar had managed to connect the chaotic fragments of my mind and now a path to where the witch hides herself should be open.

 

But...ack!"

 

Myrdain coughed blood as his injuries was getting at him, and as soon as that happened, one of the shadows landed a hit on him. In response to that, little Ierne broke a nearby candle holder and started to rush forward to smack the shadows away from Myrdain. The mage was barely able to prevent her from doing so. Just as the situation became more and more distressing however, Mina had arrived on the scene.

 

"I...can't die here, The witch is going to collapse everything if I die here, and...you all will be trapped without being able to escape..."

 

Myrdain was getting weaker and weaker. Brave little Ierne's efforts were futile so far as she barely was able to halt the shadow demons. If Myrdain die here, the effect seemed to be fatal for everyone, so it would be best to act fast.

 

---

 

Meanwhile, as Ro opened the door at the end of the hallway, he would be met with the scenery of a burning city, rather than the throne room as was expected. He (or any of the others) would be unaffected by the flames themselves for some reasons, and while it was hard to see anything with the flames obscuring the vision, if he took a ladder not too far away from him, he would be able to reach the rooftops, allowing him to fully see the chaos that broke out in the city. As he was a traveler, should he remembered much, he would recognize that this was the visage of the capital city of Taxus, centuries before the present day.

 

Above him, he would be able to see a dragon raining destruction to the city underneath him, and on top of it, he would see a figure in armor. The beast and its rider seemed to be going towards the top area of the palace not too far away from there, being the only place not in fire right now.

 

This was it, the final part of the story Myrdain's mind was trying to tell. The root of the issue should be in this place somewhere.

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Dream World/Auburn

At the bottom of the hole Auburn landed safely, likely due to being in a dream. In front of the potion brewer was a path royally decorated that lead to two separate hallways. Both were equally ominous, one hall emitted screams and the other, sounds of a broken lock. "How the hell do I choose?" Auburn muttered to himself. He wasn't expecting to have to make a choice this late in the game.

 

"Ierne." Soon enough his thoughts went back to the little ruler again. Truthfully he wanted to get to know her much more and he had no qualms being honest about that. Perhaps one of these doors might lead him back to her? Although it'd make their farewell a little anti-climatic, but he certainly wouldn't mind that. If it's to see her again, he'd do anything. The hallways of course, only intensified in their respective sounds. "Hmph. Anything goes I guess."

 

He picked the path of locks. They were a little less chill-inducing than the screams after all.

 

---

 

He came into a castle town in blazes. The very same he marched through to return to the bedroom in the mansion. As if the dream itself was mocking him by throwing him back into the fire-filled wreckage. "Is this some sort of sick jo-", Auburn paused when he caught sight of the hermit boy Ro standing in front of him. The last time he saw the boy and the accompanying Mina felt like so long ago. "Where's Mina Wh-"

 

Again Auburn was interrupted, this time by the sight of a scorching dragon in the skies above. A wonderful yet terrible sight, Auburn's head followed as it flew past, and he ran towards a set of stairs to gain elevation for better viewing, ignoring all the fire surrounding him that strangely did not burn him. Above the rooftop he saw the dragon and atop it, an armor-clad figure so much smaller but equally radiant. The dragon and its rider seemed to be heading towards the palace area.

 

Naturally, Auburn leapt down from the rooftop and ran after it. Just in case, he quickly drew out a healing potion and downed it instantly mid-run. Was it Ierne riding the dragon ravaging the town? Or is that beast heading towards Ierne in her palace? Auburn wasn't quite sure.

 

As Auburn closed in towards the palace, he saw the dragon settle on a nearby tower. That made Auburn stop his sprint to look up and observe the armor-clad rider above.

[Astolfo]

---

Ro

---

Slamming the door open, Ro was greeted not by the sight of a room or hallway, but suddenly, a whole different world. Blasted with sweltering heat, he covered his face as he spun around. As expected, the door he just went through had vanished. Turning back around slowly, Ro’s eyes took in the night-time cityscape before him. Flames were consuming every scrap they could find, burning with a hellish, terrible fury. Coughing as the smoke led to a sharp, piercing pain in his lungs, Ro scanned the land. Looking for any hint of what next action to take, his eyes set upon a ladder. Sprinting over as he covered his nose and mouth, he climbed up with a nimbleness that seemed to nearly ignore physics.

 

As he looked over the carnage from the rooftops, a spark flashed in his memory, lain deep somewhere inside his abyss. It… The sight of the city seemed familiar, yet… somewhat off. It didn’t match any memory of cities in recent times… yet... if he dug back a few more centuries...

 

“Taxus...”

 

Ro mouthed unconsciously. But before him was not the beautiful city he had grown to like at one time in his life. From end to end, buildings were alit with a ghastly, all-consuming fire. Sensing two powerful presences, his head snapped upwards. Soaring through the sky was a majestic dragon that oozed an aura of cruelty. There was another form however, causing Ro to crane his head. With only the moonlight and flames as light, it was hard to see, and so he narrowed his eyes as he focused in. Looking closer, Ro could see its armored rider commandeering the beast. As he watched, the dragon and its rider flew towards the top of a palace - the sole haven yet left untouched by hellfire.

 

“Oh hell no you don’t!”

 

His earlier fatigue and smoke exhaustion forgotten, Ro leapt with a running charge off the building rooftop, flying through the sky until he landed on the next one over.

 

“I’ll be damned if you’re going to just go and burn up some city however you please!”

 

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, Ro chased the duo without care for his own safety. There was no time to waste or shimmy back down. He’d have to do that eventually, because there was almost certainly no way or ledge from which he’d be able to jump all the way to the top of the castle. Or if ill fate would have it, a larger gap before then he couldn’t jump. But for now? Every second was worth more than any riches a king could dream of, and every second of it needed to be spent running.

 

As Ro sprinted, a strange feeling arose in his chest. It was akin to… desperation.

 

“How… peculiar.”

 

How unsettling it was, to care for something other than himself. Yet… Ro didn’t feel any sort of qualm or regret. Rather, a burning fury and a steeled will. This would be the ultimate race against time and luck itself.

 

---

[Wind Rider]

Making her way to the source of the scream, Mina stopped in her tracks as she saw Dmitri and a rather injured looking Myrdain. She hadn't seen Dmitri for a while now, but now really wasn't the time to appreciate the reunion as more shadow creatures were closing in.

 

"I...can't die here, The witch is going to collapse everything if I die here, and...you all will be trapped without being able to escape..." well that... Isn't good...

 

Mina pulled her rifle back out and aimed some shots at the approaching shadows. "Dying in my sleep is a rather peaceful way to go, but not like this!" she stated as she also pulled out her whip and lashed at a closer shadow. "So you things can just back off!"

[Mr. Hyde]

 

"Thanks to the efforts of your friends, my familiar had managed to connect the chaotic fragments of my mind and now a path to where the witch hides herself should be open.

 

But...ack!"

 

A shadow had managed to get a decisive strike onto the old man.  It made him cough up his own blood, as he sunk back into his chair.  

 

"I...can't die here, The witch is going to collapse everything if I die here, and...you all will be trapped without being able to escape..."

 

"An old wizard, a witch...all we're missing is a wardrobe."  Dmitri's teeth clenched.  Looking behind him, he saw one of his guildmates practically appear from the ether.  Mira was here now, and her gun was locked and loaded, pointed in the shadows' direction.  What the hell was even going on anymore?  Dmitri took a mental note; 'Don't dive deeper into the topic of dream magics.  This stuff is just bonkers.  P.S., get some milk on the way home.'  With that noted, he ran up to the old man, and hiked the bony arm over his neck.  It was a good thing the geezer was light, or was it rather that this dream was giving Dmitri more strength?  He couldn't think about that now.  "Mina, cover us.  You're coming too little young missy!"  He said, grabbing Ierne, and tucking her under his arm.  There was only one route for escape, the door he and Mina both came through.  With Dmitri's focus now cut off from his magic, the prisms from before would start to fade.  

 

Dmitri made an effort, with what little motor skills he had currently, to open the door.  He opted to kick it open, seeing as how both of his hands were currently preoccupied.  Looking down both sides of the endless hallway from before, he couldn't figure out which way to head.  He figured that the dream would work it's magic, so choosing which way he went would prove meaningless in the grand scheme of things.  He closed his eyes, and made a mad dash to the right, hauling as fast as his teacher's body would let him.  

 

"What kind of beginner's quest is this?!"  He said, complaining to some cruel god.  

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

The shadows were slow in their approach, and with Mina covering the rest of the three, they would reach the hallway safely. Right not the place was completely empty however, and little Ierne disappeared the moment she passed through the door, leaving only Dmitri, Mina, and the dream mage in it. Myrdain was still injured pretty badly, but with the shadows that attacked them seemingly had been driven away, he looked more at peace than before.

 

"What kind of beginner's quest is this?!"

 

"Pardon me, I had my familiar list this quest as a Rank D because I overestimated how much control I had of my mind even after that witch attacked. I will figure out a way to recompense you all for this oversight. Perhaps a free use of my service?"

 

Myrdain laughed a bit at his small joke before moving his finger towards the large door at the end of the hallway.

"The witch had chosen to hide herself there, in my nightmare. Don't trust anything she says, and don't be fooled by anything she does. She holds not as much power than before, so don't be blinded by any of her display of power, although that doesn't mean you could ignore her danger either. She'll try her best to mess with you, so be careful about that.

 

She won't be escaping anywhere now, so this should be the end. Go there, your comrades are waiting and would be needing your help. I think I will be fine no...w, at least I won't be attacked by shadows here, hopefully."

 

---

 

"It is nice to see you two here. Auburn, Ro. It had truly felt like it had been years, hasn't it?"

 

The voice of the armorclad figure was clearly a female's voice, although it was obscured to some degrees by her helmet. The dragon knight then spoke with an incomprehensible language to her dragon and it went on to rip the tower it latched on and threw it towards the burning city. Was it a display of power? As soon as she did it, she and her mount landed on the clearing on top of the castle. The knight went on to face the two members of the Cherry Heart.

 

"Then let you be damned, Ro. This is my city, and I am free to do whatever pleases me with it." The dragon rider then had her dragon went for a tail sweep at Ro's direction. aiming to get him off the building. And then, she turned towards Auburn. For a reason, Auburn felt like the rider was smiling at him as she did so. Discarding her helmet, Auburn would see that it was indeed the face of Ierne, as the king that said goodbye to him. She looked more disheveled and tired than what he remembered, but it was unmistakably her. Even small light of her kindness was still somewhere within her expression.

"Our talk was truly nice, Auburn. But regretably, I had given up on my goal years ago. It's quite pointless to pursue. No matter what I do, these people won't change. No matter what I do, they kept digging themselves deeper and deeper in their own mistake. So I decided to forsake them, and build a new era with their ashes as its foundation.

 

Going forward with your dream will only lead you to failure, Auburn. You will be shamed by the public, your relatives will disown you, you would end up as nothing but a laughingstock to the rest of your guild friends as they kept on advancing and leaving you behind. They're all so talented at something, but you already hit your limit early on. No matter how hard you work, in the end, you're only human. A flawed individual. Perhaps this wasn't just the path you're meant to take.

 

But if you can help me free myself from this old man's mind, just as you wanted, I would be on your side and I would forcefully open up a path for you to go forward with your dream of being an accomplished mage. And on that note, I would like to see how much people had advanced now too. What you see here is simply my past sin. A necessary sin to conduct, but a sin nevertheless. I am neither proud or ashamed by it, but I'd like to see what this action would lead to in the future.

 

So, what do you think? I am sorry for your friend earlier, but I know he's quite resilient and I believe he'd understand you if you're the one that talked about this to him."

Ierne and her dragon didn't continue with their attack, and simply waited for Auburn's answer for the time being.

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Dream World/Auburn

"What are you saying, Ierne...?" The rider in front of him was discernibly and without doubt, Ierne. Behind that aged visage and cold demeanor, Auburn could recognize the same smile the little girl had given him in their departure earlier. But beyond her smile, he saw the spite and pessimism. The words coming out of her mouth were laden with those feelings, and of such intensity that he just could not associate with the little ruler, he couldn't believe what she had become. "Your dream meant so much to you, didn't it!?"

 

But the rider continued on, and her next words drove her point home as she spoke with a level of certainty Auburn could only accept as the truth, how his efforts will never achieve fruition. He could not deny her words, because he had acknowledged her as someone similar to himself, someone with an irrational desire.

 

He listened to her offer to the very end without uttering another word. The dragon and the rider waited for him to speak.

 

"I..." His voice creaked with uncertainty. It hurt, and his throat burned even though the fire couldn't touch him. "I really wanted to bring you with me, out of this dream. Our status differ greatly and you're but a character in someone's dream, but I've never met someone so similar to me. Someone I could empathize with to this extent. You don't exist in the real world anymore but that didn't stop me from wanting that."

 

"And now you're here talking to me again. You don't possibly understand how tempting your offer sounds to me! I wouldn't mind helping you out, not one bit. This request means almost nothing to me after all."

 

A gunshot sound rang out. Auburn drew his gun out and shot at the rider. On his left hand was a small fireball, so minuscule it may as well not exist. But to the boy, this was the best he could do. "But I can't accept you as you are right now, Ierne. To see your people smile, it's not that bad of a wish. Even if it's you, I won't let you deny it yourself."

[Astolfo]

---

Ro

---

Upon reaching the dragon and its rider, Ro paused as it spoke. The voice behind the hidden visor was clearly female.

 

That’s… mildly surprisi-

 

“Wait, how do you know my name?”

 

Ignoring him, the rider continued. Apparently she had managed to hear his little self pep-rally during his chase earlier. If it was any other sort of situation, he would’ve looked away mildly embarrassed, but not now. This situation was nothing short of deadly serious. Without another signal, the dragon swung its massive tail at Ro before he could even realize. For a beast so huge, it moved deceptively fast. The tail slamming into his chest with a sudden force, Ro flew back clear off the roof, before falling towards the grounds below.

 

As he fell, something was off. He, Ro, had just been smacked by a gigantic dragon multiple times larger than most of the buildings in the dreamscape city. Yet, he didn’t even suffer the slightest scratch, nor did his clothes. However, the pain was definitely just as realistic. If it weren’t for the fact he couldn’t feel anything wrong with his body, he’d have sworn that several of his ribs were just smashed. Unclenching his teeth, he could taste his vile, black blood. Spitting on the nearby pavement, he sat on the ground gingerly. This was definitely unusual. As he mulled over it, he guessed it was probably at least in part due to the fact this was a dreamland, if not the only reason altogether.

 

“Hell if I’ll complain though.”

 

He peered back up towards the sky. Up there, the dragon rider and Auburn were alone.

 

“I wonder what the hag’s blabbering about to Audrey now.”

 

Standing up slowly, he dusted himself off. Looking around, he debated what the best way to reach the top was again. Finding an intact stairway inside the ruins was unlikely, but… A lightbulb popped up in his head. He already threw caution out the window a long time ago, so this wasn’t a long stretch. Perhaps he’d be able to climb up the edge of other buildings to make his way back to the rooftop run approach.

 

Looking for the closest building, Ro began to climb up the outside of the rocky surface like a deranged spider.

 

---

[Wind Rider]

Mina managed to fend off the shadow creatures and met back up with Dmitri and Myrdain. The old dream mage wasn't looking too good.

 

"Pardon me, I had my familiar list this quest as a Rank D because I overestimated how much control I had of my mind even after that witch attacked. I will figure out a way to recompense you all for this oversight. Perhaps a free use of my service?" The mage laughed at his little joke but Mina wasn't laughing along.

 

"Thanks but no thanks... I've enough of this dream magic stuff to last a lifetime..." she responded before Myrdain continued speaking.

 

"The witch had chosen to hide herself there, in my nightmare. Don't trust anything she says, and don't be fooled by anything she does. She holds not as much power than before, so don't be blinded by any of her display of power, although that doesn't mean you could ignore her danger either. She'll try her best to mess with you, so be careful about that.

 

She won't be escaping anywhere now, so this should be the end. Go there, your comrades are waiting and would be needing your help. I think I will be fine no...w, at least I won't be attacked by shadows here, hopefully."

 

Mina looked at the old mage and back to Dmitri. "We've come this far... Might as well end it." she said with a smile. "Now then... Let's go kill us a dream witch, shall we? Or would she be a nightmare witch... Eh, I'll think of something to call her..." she said with a shrug.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

As Dmitri rushed out of the room, he could feel the weight of Ierne disappear.  He turned his head to notice that she had up and evaporated out of this existence.  Dmitri turned back to the room to look for her but could find no trace.  A slight melancholy weighed down his mind, almost as heavy as the girl herself.  He had known her for such a short while, but he had obviously grown attached to her, the guide in this wacky place.  

 

"Pardon me, I had my familiar list this quest as a Rank D because I overestimated how much control I had of my mind even after that witch attacked. I will figure out a way to recompense you all for this oversight. Perhaps a free use of my service?"

 

"Thanks but no thanks... I've enough of this dream magic stuff to last a lifetime..." 

 

Dmitri shook his head in agreement.  Myridian then held up a solemn finger towards a door at the end of the hallway.  So he had chosen correctly afterall!  Or was it merely fate?  

"The witch had chosen to hide herself there, in my nightmare. Don't trust anything she says, and don't be fooled by anything she does. She holds not as much power than before, so don't be blinded by any of her display of power, although that doesn't mean you could ignore her danger either. She'll try her best to mess with you, so be careful about that.  She won't be escaping anywhere now, so this should be the end. Go there, your comrades are waiting and would be needing your help. I think I will be fine no...w, at least I won't be attacked by shadows here, hopefully."

 

"Mind tricks...great."  Dmitri sighed.  

 

"We've come this far... Might as well end it." Mina said, smiling at him. "Now then... Let's go kill us a dream witch, shall we? Or would she be a nightmare witch... Eh, I'll think of something to call her..."

 

"You went straight for kill?!  I mean...defeat is a simpler term.  I mean...we're mages, not murderers!  Geez Mina..."  Dmitri said, still frazzled.  His hand reached out to the door that they had finally made it to, in hopes of opening the final obstacle in this whole mess.  

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"I acknowledge your choice."

 

From the side of the rider's body where Auburn shot her, blood visibly trickled down. The armor of the age seemed to not be able to handle today's firearm, but the rider was seemingly nonplussed by it. She continued to stare at Auburn, as if she was judging every inch of his being.

 

"It was such a childish wish. Something so fleeting is not worth pursuing. No matter what path we take, we would tread on someone, we will always have an opposition to overcome. I simply chose the path of most resistance, something that would ensure the future of the people that would inherit the ashes of this city even if it's at the cost of my own people.

 

Won't you say, what I did here ensure the smile of you and the people of your era?"

 

As she said it, the dragon turned towards Auburn's direction. As each moment pass, Auburn would  start feeling more and more that the rider before her was exactly the same Ierne that he met before. As the dragon opened its jaws, he would feel like Ierne was smiling at him. What kind of smile it was, perhaps he wouldn't know ever.

 

"I of now, will no longer acknowledge the weak, helpless, useless ierne of old. She had died with this city she wished to protect. If you're so stubborn about only accepting the old me, then it would be for the best for you to join her.

 

You will be the foundation to a bright future, Auburn."

 

With that word, the world around Auburn was set ablaze in an instant. It was an impressive show of force, as befitting of a creature of the old days. Would Auburn even be able to survive it?

 

---

 

As Ro traveled through the edges of the burning buildings to reach the castle rooftops again, he would be treated with the full view of the conversation between Auburn and the dragon rider. As the rider spoke, any doubts that she was any familiar to him would be gone - she was not. Ro would come to the conclusion that he wouldn't be able to recognize her throughout his long life, even if he tried his best to remember. At the time though, he would also notice a strange distortion going around the rider as if she wasn't really able to properly maintain her form here for some reasons.

 

She didn't seem to notice Ro right now, so the opportunity for a sneak attack was there. The tail was still active however, and a hit from it would be a major setback. He would need to smoothly figure out his way out of the mess.

 

---

 

"You two have my utmost best wishes. May your journey be full of blessings."

 

As Dmitri and Mina went through the final door in the hallway, they would be treated with the same burning landscape as the previous two guild members had experienced before. They started on the streets as the building around them were ablaze. and

after moving around they would also notice the current event happening at the top of the castle complex.

 

Should they found a good looking spot or continue their way through the streets for a while though, they would find the streets were littered with the shadow creatures that had been attacking them before. Distorted figments of memories made manifest as wraiths. Some looked like they were more defined than the others, whiich might mean that they would be more dangerous than the others. So far the wraiths didn't notice the two however, and they all seemed to be attracted towards the center of the city. Whatever was going on with the castle, it seemed that it were drawing the shadows in.

 

Further inquiries might be necessary.

 

---

[Astolfo]

---

Ro

---

“Bleech, what a pain. This is way too much effort for some random D-level quest.”

 

Finally reaching the top of the building after an annoyingly tiring climb, he was greeted by the sight of the conversation between the dragon rider and Auburn. It only served to confirm the woman was no one he could identify from the scraps of memories he had, no matter how far he thought back.

 

Ierne, is it… Who are you? Are you the master or just another puppet? Or perhaps, a completely unrelated third party?

 

For some unusual reason though, the air around the woman seemed almost… liquid? Rippling, her very form seemed as unstable as a wisp. In the next instant though, before he could even shout out, Ierne had commanded the dragon to incinerate the area where Auburn was standing. With a mighty, deafening roar, it let out a torrent of blindingly bright flames. Even from where he was standing, Ro could feel the sweltering heat singing his arms. In the span of one second, the sight and sound of his teammate was completely obscured.

 

“Ah damn it all. I don’t even have time to check for that runt, not that I even expect him to survive.”

 

Luckily, Ierne hadn’t noticed his presence yet. However, with how fast the dragon had reacted earlier, he couldn’t make a reckless dive. Getting hit by that tail was no joke either. For some reason, he sustained no actual injuries, but the pain had been nearly enough to make him go unconscious from the initial brutal collision.

 

“What am I even supposed to do in a situation like this… And I don’t even have time to mull over. She’s not going to just stay there blankly doing nothing forever. Gah. Thinking too long is going to get me nowhere anyways. Might as well just go for it.”

 

From his hands, the color of the surrounding aura changed to an inky black. A slippery, translucent liquid began to coat his body in a thin layer. If it were to go well, it would aid in at least avoiding the first tailstrike. What he was going to do after would have to be on the spur of lady luck. It’s not like he, a non-combatant, could readily beat both an armored dragon knight and her steed. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out several jars filled with bubbling green fluid from an inner pocket. Contained within was a purified and concentrated mixture of various strong acids he had found through his travels.

 

Leaning down into a crouch, Ro burst off the ground. The slimy coating from earlier would assist when he’d duck into a skid to avoid the inevitable tailstrike. By reducing the frictional force of drag against the rocky surface, he’d be able to lower his body further without reducing his momentum too much. And after that, before the dragon could immediately retaliate once more, Ro would smash the jars straight against the visor slot. It probably wouldn’t kill her, but it could definitely blind and suffocate her for a duration at least. He’d just have to pray that her reactions would be slower than his, in the case of an attack from her.

 

“This has dragged on too long! Go to hell, Ierne!”

 

---

[mitchermitcher]

Dream World/Auburn

The world turned red instantly. Fire surrounded every corner of Auburn's vision and scorching pain filled him. By all means, a single instant was enough to incinerate him until there was nothing left, and if not the heat, the wind would push him away. He couldn't move, his eyes burned and his vision completely disappeared.

 

But he was still able to think, even for just a moment. That was the difference between dreams and reality. His body was not being burned to crisps, only his soul was. And this was not physical reality, fire did not have to follow physical laws. That was what allowed him to be able to think amidst the flames. Within this one moment he had to think with all his might, of a way to survive. "Think, think, think." He certainly did not say those words out loud, for his throat had already burned out. 

 

He suddenly thought of something. Certainly his throat, his eyes, his entire body wasn't real. How was he getting hurt? He knew from earlier realization that this wasn't his real body, but then how exactly does he get hurt and die here? Auburn remembered the earlier incident with the corpses of themselves, and how looking at the doppelgangers' injuries inflicted them to the actual person as well. There were infinitely many answers considering dreams are not restricted to any real semblance of logic but if he had to think of a reason why right there and then, it would be because of belief. Instinctively, seeing one's own bodies covered with injuries evoke a subconscious fear of oneself being injured. Maybe that was how it worked and maybe it wasn't, but it gave Auburn a baseline to work with. You become injured when you believe you do.

 

It was belief that changed reality within the dream.

 

Could Auburn choose to believe he wasn't being burned? Likely not. The pain he felt in his entire body was too much to bear.

 

Could he believe that he had enough control over magic to convince himself this flame was a byproduct of his own magic? Also not likely. Even with Ierne's encouraging he couldn't believe in what he didn't have yet.

 

He had only one venue he could believe in. Auburn drew a potion bottle and smashed it on himself. Its contents dripped and soaked his entire body and cooled him down slightly. It was the same recovery potion he had been using the entire dream so far. No, he had to believe it was more. It was a dream, so it wouldn't be weird if he had a potion so strong it could revive him even from a state of death, would it? An all-curing panacea. Either he made it himself, or he happened to have it, or one of his healing potions turned into it. He was a potion maker, he knew and understood exactly how impossible it was to create such an elixir. But he could also believe in the possibility of it.

 

That was the last thought he had as his body burned away.

[Wind Rider]

Passing through the door with Dmitri, Mina was surprised to see a sea of fire consuming a town. There also seemed to be some commotion going on at the top of the castle in the center of the town. "I'm guessing that's where we'll find the witch..." Mina said as she noticed the shadow creatures wandering around the streets, they're attention was turned towards the castle interestingly.

 

Mina pulled her gun out and popped her neck. "Well... I say we get this taken care of." she said hopping along the roofs, shooting any of the shadows that got in her path to the castle.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

The sight before them as they left the hallway was rather bleak...and hot.  The streets were engulfed in flames, and shadowy horrors patrolled them along the dancing pyre.  Dmitri shifted the old man up his shoulder, trying to get a better hold of him.  He was sweating, strange seeing as how this was a dream.  In the background, he could see a tower.  It was of no doubt that that was where they were supposed to be headed now.  In front of him, he saw the girl pop her neck, making a sound that clearly grossed him out.

 

"Well... I say we get this taken care of."

 

The girl went off, shooting any of the shadows that drew near.  It left a very clear path for Dmitri to follow suit in.  

 

"Wait for me Mina~!"  Dmitri said, whining.  If any of them were able to get past her, he would use his spare hand to conjure a cuboid that would detonate with a flash.  "I'm not the strongest mage you know!" 

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

The castle rooftops became a scenery out of hell in an instant. Everything before the dragon were consumed in its flames, gradually melting no matter what they're made of. Ierne saw it with her own eyes that  the boy's form dissipated in just seconds, unable to withstand the heat. Thus, she gave the order to her mount to stop this display of power. What was left before the corrupt king and her mount was nothing more than ashes - a devastated landscape that was distinct even from the rest of the burning city in its annihilation.

 

And right before her, Auburn's form still persisted. The young man stood his ground, with nary any part of him being charred by the lizard's flames. Or perhaps, he really was charred yet somehow recovered his form? Ierne, confused at this development, prepared to order her dragon to start burning everything again, but before that could happen, she felt something hard smashing against her, before she felt something corrosive seeping through the cracks of her armor.

“This has dragged on too long! Go to hell, Ierne!”

 

Whatever hellish substance had Ro forced Ierne to take, it seemed to be working. A corrosive substance that would burn the skin even with the most minimum contact, it touched Ierne directly on her face, damaging her eyes. Some of the substance ended up being inhaled too by her, so even her respiratory system were inflamed. She started to lose control of herself and her dragon as the pain became visibly unbearable for her, and the dragon interpreted it as an order to thrash around wildly. Smashing anything that was near, the dragon ended up losing its balance after it pushed Auburn and Ro to the ground, and it too fell to the city roads along with its rider. Of where it would start convulsing before melting into the shadow creatures that the guild members had been familiar with.

 

"I can't...lose...I cannot let this end here."

 

Before Ro and Auburn now, Ierne was alone, but on her hand was a sword whose blade was seemingly made from hardened light. Her helmet had been discarded, revealing just how much damage did she take from Ro's acid. She was still blinded, and now her movement was like that of a berserker's. She wasted no time to leap to anywhere she felt Auburn or Ro was, and swung her sword at whatever in front of her with enough force to cleave the paved roads. At moments where she felt Auburn or Ro had moved too far, she would start using her sword like a cannon: firing blasts of light in succession which were capable of punching holes into buildings.

 

In the meantime, Mina and Dmitri ran through the rooftops in their attempt to reach the whereabouts of the witch. They would see how the dragon rampaged on top of the castle before falling to the ground not long after, and at the same time, they would see that some shadows had already gathered together, seemingly trying to reform the same dragon creature as the one on the distance. It ended up triggering Dmitri's cube however, as it had not been used yet due to Mina's crackshooting skill where she didn't even seem to spend a time reloading her weapon. A large explosion of light consumed the scenery around them and so the not-fully-formed creature dissipated into nothingness.

 

Before they could actually properly react to it however, they would feel the building they're currently standing in were shaking after something seemingly passed through it. It was the first signs that the building would topple, and the two somehow made it out fine in the end, which would soon lead them to the battlefield where Ro and Auburn were, still facing against the crazed armored king.

 

"Come here and face me! This is my world, nothing you do will mean a thing here! If you refuse to die, then I'll kill you until you die for real!"

 

At the back of each of the guildmembers' mind, they would feel that Ierne was capable of backing her word here - she had somehow regained control of this realm and any of her strikes would do real damage now. At the same time, each of their experiences so far made it seem that they did have their own control regarding this dream too. This would be the final point of their quest. If they were capable of surviving and believing in their own way to defeat Ierne, then this nightmare would be over. Perhaps it would be something that they should talk about first among themselves, but either way, they had to make a decision, quick.

 

---

[spoiler=OOC]

Once again, I apologize for the delay.

 

As said, I will finish this quest by january 7th no matter what, so right now, go talk among yourselves on what would the four of you do to finish off Ierne. You can control her as much as possible in your post for whatever you're planning as long as it'd still make sense.

 

If Ierne's not finished off by the 7th then someone else probably would end up landing the kill, which would be lame.

 

Once again, I apologize for how much of a mess this quest was. Hopefully you guys can still manage for at least one last round of posting.