Chapter 25: The Flower Of Youth
Luther began activating Ivery's curse mark often, after all of the trouble Ivery gets into now, he uses it to make sure she's safe...but when he activated the curse mark this time...he saw Juliana through Ivery's eyes...
He was curious as to why Juliana was with Ivery....he knew Juliana hated all of his previous fiances, and he knew about her obvious infatuation for him...
So he made his way...to where they were and he hid his presence as he stood behind Juliana, and closely listened to their conversation..
...
"Now...it's time for your punishment" Luther smiled
Luther pulled Juliana's long beautiful violet-colored hair and laughed.
"Remember when I told you if I extract the powers I granted you...it'll be so painful that you'll wish for death" He pulled her hair harder
"I-I'm sorry your highness!" Tears ran out of Juliana's eyes
"Time for extraction" Luther pulled her body forward by yanking her hair
"Agh!" She fell forwards on the floor
Luther kicked her to turn her on her back, he crouched down and powerfully pressed his palm on her lower chest.
Juliana's light pink colored eyes glowed with a bright purple light, she held her head in her hands, she felt like her head was splitting and screamed as she felt like something was forcefully being ripped apart from her body.
A black mist flowed out of Juliana's body and into Luther's hand. A bright purple light flickered in his purple eyes..
Juliana's nose started to bleed, as she screamed in agony. Luther continued to extract his power of darkness from her body, not caring for the pain she was feeling, not caring in the slightest about her screams...
Ivery watched as Luther began to take a tiny fragment of his power back from Juliana.
Juliana soon enough passed out from the pain, she didn't have enough of Luther's power to endure the pain any longer.
"She's lucky enough that I won't strip away her MVP title after this incident" Luther stood up when he finished the extraction
"Do you believe anything she said to you?" Luther asked and looked at Ivery
"I don't, unless you say it yourself, I won't believe anyone else's words.." Ivery responded apathetically
"Good" Luther smiled
"Go back to class, I'll deal with her.." Luther walked over to Ivery and waved his hand
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When Ivery blinked...she suddenly was back in the exercising center..
Ivery looked around with confusion, she was even wondering if what she just experienced was some sort of daydream..but she then concluded that...Luther must've teleported her back here.
...
Ivery sat back in her class, currently in her 4th period out of 7 periods in a day...
Just as the teacher was about to begin the lesson, a loud alarm sounded out in the school.
"Attention all teachers! Send all students to the training room for a special mission requested by the Emperor of Fresia!"
...
The teacher lined up the class and led them to the training room.
All classes from A to E were scattered in the training room, and the MVP's were at the front of the room, excluding Juliana..
A giant blue portal opened in the room, the same portal that took them to the Forest Of Nightmares a few years ago..
Everyone was lined up in their corresponding classes, and geared up with armor that matched with their class. Class A was equipped with the strongest armor out of classes B, C, D and E.
"Today we'll be adventuring to the Forest Of Everlight, in search of the flower of youth!" Luther projected his voice and announced to everyone present in the room
"The system will be just as it was when we ventured to the Forest Of Nightmares" Luther said
"Now, let's waste no time," Luther said and stepped into the portal, and the other MVP's followed
After the last member of the MVP's entered the portal, then all Class A students, entered the portal.
"Wow..." Ivery's eyes looked around at the forest in front of her
The trees were crystal white...the grass was pastel pink...and the water even looked as if it was tinted pink..
"A place like this exists?" Ivery was astonished
"Time for grouping up, everyone make your own squads, except for classes A and B, they'll be coming with us!" Piere shouted
Luther looked at Ivery and gestured his finger in a come here motion.
Ivery stepped out from the crowd and walked over to Luther.
"You're never going on any of these missions without me with you" Luther rubbed her head
"Stop treating me like a child" Ivery narrowed her eyes at him
"Then prove to me that you can handle yourself.." Luther said
"I will.." Ivery looked at him determinedly
...
Luther assembled his team of 20 class A students, and moved out into the forest.
Everyone was given a picture of the flower and was requested to look closely for it.
"This place may look peaceful...but the monsters here are just as deadly and violent as the monsters in the Forest of Nightmares" Luther told his team
"Really..I can't imagine monsters being in a place like this.." Ivery looked around and only saw the absolute beauty and tranquillity of this forest
"Don't judge a book by it's cover" Luther smiled
"I suppose you're right.." Ivery shrugged
"You suppose?" Luther looked at her
Ivery nodded.
"I am right." Luther said back to her
"I'm sure you are" Ivery rolled her eyes and smirked
"You truly dare to doubt me?" Luther smiled and stopped walking
"I double dare.." Ivery mischievously smiled
"You have to be punished" Luther pulled Ivery's arm and closed the distance between them
"What's my punishment?" Ivery asked with a sly smile
"This" Luther leaned in close to her and kissed her soft lips
Everyone around them blushed..and looked away..
Luther lightly bit her bottom lip and pulled away from her..
"W-Wait.." Ivery didn't want to do this in front of so many people...she felt slightly embarrassed
How could he be so shameless??
"Hm?" Luther looked at her
"I told you not to do that in front of others..." Ivery looked back at the blushing students
"It's your punishment." Luther smiled and proceeded to walk on
Ivery glared at Luther as he walked away and didn't even bother follow Luther...she wandered far behind everyone else who followed Luther into the forest..
"Don't you think you're acting like a child right now?" Loki appeared beside Ivery
"No, I'm not.." Ivery shook her head
"You're going to be left behind soon if you keep standing around like this" Loki told her
"They can leave, I can find the flower on my own, I feel capable of doing this myself...Luther is just too overprotective.." Ivery began walking down her own path
"You're upset because he kissed you like that?" Loki asked
"No...I just want to find the flower on my own..it's more likely to be found if we spread out anyway..." Ivery quickly denied that accusation
"I guess you're not wrong but you really think you're going to find it on your own?" Loki followed Ivery
"Possibly" Ivery stepped in between a few trees and moved the white branches out of her way
"Good luck with that" Loki snickered
"Do you not think I can find it?" Ivery looked down at Loki
"Of course I do, I definitely believe that you can find it" Loki held back his laughter
"I feel like you're being sarcastic.." Ivery narrowed her eyes
"Feel that way then" Loki grinned
...
Ivery looked around and saw that the area she had found was somewhat different than the rest of the forest.
This area was covered in what seemed like hundreds of white flowers. All of the same flower...not a single one was different than the rest.
Ivery walked further, and noticed one among the others was on a strange...small hill.
Ivery walked up the hill and kneeled down beside the flower...which was the only one different than the rest...it was a white rose.
"I think this is it.." Ivery remembered the picture that was shown of the flower of youth
"You seriously found it!?" Loki ran up the small hill and looked at the lone white rose
Ivery touched the roses stem.
"Don't touch it!" Loki shouted
"What? Why?" Ivery asked
The rose glowed and a cloud of white mist burst around them..
...
"You're such an idiot..." Loki shook his head
"What happened...?" Ivery looked at Loki
"Loki! You're...a kitten?" Ivery looked at Loki...he was so adorable
"Yes...and you're a child" Loki sighed
"Wait...what? What?" Ivery looked at her hands...they were hands of a child..
Now that she's hearing it...her voice does sound like a child!
She looked down and saw that her clothes had become bigger...
"No way..." Ivery stretched her small arms out
"You touched the flower of youth...which reverted us to our younger selves.." Loki explained
"How young?" Ivery asked
"Not sure...but you look around the same age as a 6-year-old girl," Loki told her
"You look like a 6 month old kitten.." Ivery said as she looked at him
"You're always getting into some crazy situation! What is wrong with you! Your luck is terrible, and now your bad luck is latching onto me!" Loki shouted
"I just wanted to pick the flower, isn't that why we came here?!" Ivery shouted back
"You can't pick the flower of youth with your hands! You use preservation magic to pick it, so that it won't die once ripped from its roots"
"I wasn't told that.." Ivery shrugged
"Because you wandered off away from your group! I'm sure that demonic crown prince knew!" Loki yelled
"But you knew, and you didn't tell me so this is partially your fault." Ivery retorted
"...." Loki's ears drooped when he thought about it
"But I know how to use preservation magic.." Ivery lifted her tiny hand and the flower of youth was lifted up and gently taken off from its roots, the flower was bubbled in a golden translucent ball
"I have to go find Luther..." Ivery stood up and gathered the shirt she wore and wrapped it around her small body, the shirt was big enough to be a dress..
Ivery dashed through the flowers and Loki's little legs had trouble keeping up with her..
Ivery stopped and noticed Loki struggling to run...she picked him up and laughed.
Ivery ran deeper into the forest, and ran past the tree's.
"I remember...this was where I took that other path...they went this way" Ivery ran down the path she saw Luther and the team went
"Ivery they could've went anywhere in the forest, I don't think you're going to find him like this.." Loki told her
"I'll try to teleport to him.." Ivery thought of Luther and closed her eyes
....
When she opened her eyes and she saw Luther...and the rest of the team in front of her..
"It worked.." Ivery smiled
"What...? Who...?" Luther looked at Ivery
She looked just like Ivery...but she was a child...
It's me.." Ivery waved
"What happened?" Luther walked closer to her
"I found this.." Ivery lifted her hand and a golden translucent ball appeared in front of Luther's eyes
Inside of it, was a beautiful white flower.
"You..found it..but you touched it didn't you.." Luther rubbed his forehead
"I wasn't told I couldn't touch it" Ivery looked down at Loki who instantly avoided eye contact with her
"I thought you were behind in the group..." Luther facepalmed himself
"You should know this idiot by now, she gets into all sorts of trouble now" Loki said in Ivery's arms
"Whatever.." Ivery frowned
"So you were affected by the flower too.." Luther looked at Loki...that looked like a 6 month old kitten
"So, what did you do about the guardians?" Luther asked
"What guardians?" Ivery was puzzled and slightly tilted her head, showing her confusion
"The guardians of the flower of youth..." Luther said
"Guardians? I didn't see any.." Ivery didn't see anyone there
"Strange..." Luther's father told him that the flower of youth is always guarded by guardians
....
Suddenly large trembles in the ground were felt by Ivery and everyone else...it sounded like giant footsteps or stomps...
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"Return the flower of youth!" A giant lady appeared behind Ivery
Ivery turned around and saw a 30 feet tall woman, her skin tone was light pink, her eyes were crystal white and her white crystal armor shined in the sun, her hair was dark pink and flowed in the wind..
And in her hand was a pink sword and the hilt of the sword was covered with white vines.
Another giant pink woman appeared behind the Class A team, who looked exactly like the 30 feet tall woman in front of Luther and Ivery..
"Those...are the guardians.." Luther said with a sigh
"Oh..they're bigger than I thought.." Ivery looked up at the two giant women
They seem...very...hard to miss...so how come she didn't see them when she took the flower of youth?
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