Union

“Creek…!”

The door opened making a creek, it was a big, heavy and partially rotten door, of course, it would make some sound.

As the door opened, both of them rushed in.

Theo knew that the door won't be open all the time, as well the company he had was a bit suspicious as well.

While keeping all these thoughts aside, he sped up in that room.

As they kept moving forward, there was a certain force that was pulling them in. It was as if someone was pulling them towards the centre of the room,

When they finally reached the core, there was a strange radiance emitting from a box. Along with that box, there was the statue as well.

Theo unhesitantly took the statue, but he couldn't just turn around from the mysterious box.

He tried taking a closer look but couldn't figure out what it was. After thinking a while he opened the box, to his surprise, there was only a parchment lying inside.

As soon as he opened it, the parchment flew up in the air and the letters started appearing on it.

It was written that,

“The holder of the artifact must note that great actions come with greater consequences. This artifact is a piece of a greater game, hold onto it and you'll be enlightened beyond belief.”

After the final sentence was read by them, the parchment burned up and the radiance from the box vanished as well.

.

.

…

'Strange!

What consequences?

What greater game?

Is it related to the seal or something even big is lurking in the shadows?'

Just as Theodore was thinking a shadow emerged out of nowhere and looked at Theodore.

"I can't believe fate chose someone as weak and insignificant as you, but if fate has chosen you, that means you are special.

I'll be watching over your progress, try to impress me.

But you must note, as time will progress you must evolve into something greater." Saying this the shadow disappeared in the darkness and a giant crack appeared right where that shadow was.

It was dark and he couldn’t clearly see the person but he saw the eyes very clearly as they were glowing in the dark, they are radiant blue, strangely clam but carried a look of conviction,

'What was that?

And what is this crack?’ The crack was pulling him in,

“Damn!” as he cursed he realized a formidable force was sucking in both of them.

Theodore was struggling with the force while the latter just let him get sucked in.

.

With a shocked expression he realized there really was no gain by struggling as the force was quite formidable, he could only get sucked in.

As he got sucked in, the inside of the crack seemed like a portal.

It was twisting and changing constantly, at a point it all got extremely bright and suddenly he found it at the entrance of the dungeon.

He was forcefully teleported out and thus with a thud, he fell on the ground only to find Aeneas stuck on a branch of a tree upside down.

'Clearly, the luck isn't on his side' Theodore thought as he chuckled.

He helped the latter climb down and get back on the ground.

Aeneas burst into tears, “Aren’t you really strong?” Theo asked him in a confused manner,

“But! But!

I hate this! I was this close to putting those bags of gold in my sack and…”

His cry clarified why they were thrown out in the first place. causing Theodore to frown a bit.

They both sat on the ground to catch a breath, as they did Theodore started evaluating the things he heard inside.

He just had witnessed a lot of things that he didn’t anticipate,

'What game that shadow talked about?

Was it the same as the parchment! Does that person know anything about it?

And the seal is weakened!

Isn't that a grave matter?

Is it really okay to rely upon me with such a big thing?

But still, I didn't get the meaning behind the consequences. And who was that person?'

These thoughts made Theodore scratch his head.

'Maybe there is something I'm missing, a link perhaps.

I need to solve it one by one.

There is this statue as well, why did the ancestor tell me to hang onto it!' He started thinking.

.

As he was busy thinking, Aeneas took a mediating position that caused him to suck in some sort of energy at a visible rate.

‘He can do that?’ Theodore looked at him in awe but later, went back on thinking about the stuff.

.

.

…

Just as everything seemed quiet, a slap suddenly fell on one of his cheeks causing him to roll a few times on the ground.

There was a sharp pain and his vision was blurred for a while as well.

Just as he opened his eyes to see who dared to sneak attack him, he was dumbstruck.

.

Vivian was angrily looking at him as his sister was holding her laugh in the back.

He was looking at Vivian with an awkward expression.

Vivian walked close to him, pulled him by the collar,

"Do you understand what we went through to get here?

You leave without telling anyone and don't plan as well.

What would we have done if something bad happened to you?" She seemed like a mother scolding a child.

No wonder His sister was bursting with laughter. But when he saw a drop of a tear falling from her cheek, he felt her worry.

Indeed he had run away many times, this time it was a really dangerous adventure, if not for Aeneas he was really done for even before they could track him.

...

"That's your girlfriend?" A voice suddenly ruined the mood.

"Hya!

Who the hell is this old man?" Merida angrily asked Theodore, after Aeneas interrupted the situation.

"Old Man!

I heard Arboria certainly has some beautiful ladies, but I only see kids around" After being provoked, he looked at Merida and commented in a mocking tone.

"Hya?

Kid!” Her eyebrow twitched as anger was building up in her visibly,

Should I show you what this 'Kid' can do huh?" Now the anger was visible on her face.

.

Theodore interrupted both by jumping in only to receive a sharp glare from Merida.” You stay out of this!” she said.

"Sister!

We don't want to start a fight on search and rescue right?" Vivian asked her in a gentler tone which seemed to have calmed her down a bit,

"Humph, that thing aside, I don't really like him at all.

He can get lost." She looked at him while moving a lock of hair from her face that was covering her look down expression,

‘What is this feeling I get, it’s as if I’m a used up dirt rag in a house that hasn’t been washed in years!

She’s scary!’ Aeneas had a funny expression looking at Merida

,

"Sister, you don't know how powerful a guy he is,

he single-handedly killed 8 soldiers, he might be helpful." Theodore jumped in the conversation as he sensed anger boiling up in his short-tempered sister.

"Ha!

You don't need to exaggerate my achievement." Aeneas waved his golden-brown hairs with a self-praising posture.

‘Fashy flash’ Both Theodore and Vivian had the same look on their face,

"Killing a few cockroaches won't turn a tiny kitten into a tiger." Merida was clearly mocking him in a ridiculing tone.

.

.

...

"Did she say a kitten?" Aeneas turned somewhat serious.

Theodore thought his sister may have pushed on her joke a bit too much.

“Sister…”

But then to his surprise Aeneas suddenly fell on his knees crying, "I always wanted one, to pet. But they'd run away every time I approached them.

Is there no way?

Is there?" His words made Theodore question his own decisions.

"Well, I was at least able to befriend a few astral beasts." Aeneas showed a smug smile,

As he said Theodore was startled.

'Astral beast?

Did he tame such an existence?

Wait, is it even possible to tame one?

And not one but more?' just as he was thinking Vivian spoke,

"Actually we came across one and…"

Before she could complete Aeneas jumped towards her, and asked her in excitement while holding her hands,

"Where?

How did he look?

Ahh, it’s been a while since I saw them, I wonder what my babies are up to!" He had a baby face that kinda looked funny bot shut Vivian and Theo,

"Here he had such a similar horn." As Merida threw that piece of horn in his hands, he turned silent.

.

"How?"

Theodore almost fainted by looking at it, it was a freaking Astral Beast that most legends were unable to fight off easily.

.

"Well, he was just a child.” She had a proud smug on her face,

After looking at Aeneas’s pale face she continued in a mocking tone, “What?

Did it hurt?"

She looked at Aeneas in a ridiculing way.

Theodore thought the things might turn bad but,

the latter suddenly fell to the ground when he noticed something. There were traces of berries on that horn. Initially, it looked like blood but upon taking a closer look he knew what it was!

.

"So it was that bastard who used to ruin my berry farms.

Thanks, kid!

Otherwise, I might have killed you for killing my pet." As he said it casually, apart from Theodore, no one felt a chill in his words.

Merida threw a glance at him in a strange way and asked Theodore about the things that happened inside. She knew right away that he had been inside.

.

.

…

After a while Theodore shared his information except for the words of parchment, he felt it was not the time to think over something he might not get involved in.

After hearing their story, Merida froze.

"Our ancestor was a Mortal God?

Did you meet them?

And the seal on the Demon Lord has weakened!

And you encountered the soldiers as well?" She was still recovering from these pieces of information,

"We need to hurry back to the palace and inform the king, I hope we are not late," she suggested to which Theodore nodded.

He looked at Aeneas in a questioned look, "Want to join?"

"Nah I got to go collect some important stuff." As he mentioned it with a mischievous look, Theodore understood that he was talking about his berries.

"And there's someone I need to meet as well" Now his tone was serious.

"Who?" Theodore asked inquisitively.

"An old friend." was his reply

Re-Edit in progress, I humbly ask for your cooperation in the meantime. Thanks