Krustallos (IV)

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Russ sat silently waiting, biding his time. It had been months since he applied to the WaterRose guild, anxiously waiting to participate in the large battle. Since the completion of the World quest both in Noriene and the real world, he was able to climb the ladder of the WaterRose guild and gain large points in fame.

He was a personal crusader that worked under the great teaching of Hades. He wore a rare armor that set him apart from most of his guild members. The armor was form-fitting and made him look like a black raven. Being a human that served under Hades had brought bountiful blessings that he never thought was possible.

Since entering the border edge of the Electric Continent, he had found a temple hidden under rubble. He was lucky to find the new temple without dying from exploring a difficult dungeon. He was the only one that survived the dungeon and received the bountiful blessing of God. Then he was quickly summoned back to the City of Diadem to do a bit of searching.

He worked diligently to raise his affinity with the underworld god Hades. He didn't expect to find a different god in such a location. He thought all gods in the world of Noriene were mostly from Norse Mythology. For now, he had told no one of his new findings. He had a gut feeling that telling people he served a god seen worldwide as an evil being was not something he wanted his guild to know about. His sunglasses slipped from his nose, revealing his black eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief.

He had become the fifth group leader, taking on the responsibility to aid the guild leader Lilac in tough situations, especially during the quest to retrieve the horn. He had saved several and gave strong backup during the time of crisis in the quest to obtain the Horn of the Dead with the Hercules guild.

Purposefully he put himself near Lilac to seize any opportunities; he had to be recognized. She was his ideal woman and his goal. Every day he aimed tireless to climb the rank of the WaterRose guild and be the second in command. It was his ultimate goal.

But there was always someone standing in his way. The four commanders, Tim, Sento, Sasha, and Kent, were her top commanders of the WaterRose guild. Not only that, who could ever forget the second in command, the shadow that protects her at every forefront of the battle, Ten?

That wretched Ten. How the name made him boil in anger. He had personally embarrassed Russ in front of Lilac in a duel. He had tried his best to defeat Ten but failed miserably. It had taken less than thirty seconds for his utter defeat. Thinking about the past infuriated him even more.

But things would be different. He swore to himself. There were plans he would enact to ensure he would rise like the phoenix and defang the beast. He was not going to back down from his goal, and the quest would make everything he wanted a reality.

Not only that but to give him such a low-class mission to deliver a letter to Aldrin, the leader of the Hercules guild. He was no errand boy. He wouldn't have gone through this if it wasn't for Lilac. He despised Ten for giving him such a job. Her sweet words were what coaxed him. He loved to hear her talking and took the initiative to be around her as much as possible. It pleased him.

"Did you see the flying Royal Library in the City of Terra?" The husband whispered to his wife. Russ stopped and stood around to hear their conversation.

A flying library? The thought boggled his mind. When did the City of Diadem have a flying library?

"Yea. I was there when it happened. You wouldn't believe what I saw. It was truly frightening. The ground shook, rocks and dirt fell from the sky, and you could hear the screams of the citizens in complete terror. I thought another attack was coming." The wife shivered while thinking back on the nostalgic past.

Russ was even more curious now. He wanted to check out this flying Royal Library. Maybe there was something he could gain in all of this. With hurried steps, Russ followed the excited crowds that streamed past him. He even saw a nobleman riding a horse with a group of soldiers going in the same direction as everyone else.

In a split second, everything changed in a complete 180; the horse neighed and reared up, dropping the noble man onto the ground with a heavy thud. Three large dogs fighting with one another slipped under the horse, making it startle in fright. The crowds scattered like roaches as they ducked and covered from getting trampled on.

Russ was nearby as he ran forward and grabbed the horse's reign pulling the horse back down.

"Woah! Woah," he sternly yelled. The horse neighed and pranced around nervously. Already the horse was calming down from Russ' quick handling. He had a natural talent for animals.

"Sir, are you okay?" Russ glanced down to see the disheveled nobleman. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that this nobleman was not like every other nobleman he saw. His clothes were all in simple cotton attire. He looked more like a commoner than a nobleman.

"How did you do that?" The nobleman asked. He dusted himself off and got up.

"My lord, are you okay?" The soldiers rushed forward to help him up, but they were stopped by the nobleman's hand.

"I was raised on a farm, so I know how to handle horses," Russ replied as he patted the horse on the nose. Then, he pulled a sugar cube from his Zenith pouch and fed it to the horse.

"I can't thank you enough. I thought I was going to die. I only wanted to take a morning stroll to head over to see the flying Royal Library. I didn't expect all this to happen." The noble man smiled warmly at him. "I am Prince Xander. I would like to personally reward you for saving my life. Please follow me to the castle. Right now, I don't have anything to give."

Russ was surprised that the person he saved was this kingdom's first Prince. He was ecstatic at the lucky opportunity that had fallen into his lap. "I am truly honored." He bowed deeply; he wanted to make a deep impression on the future King.

"If you don't mind, please follow." Prince Xander walked up to his horse and began riding it again.

"Yes, my lord." Russ quickly replied. He handed the reins over. Already he had forgotten about the flying Royal Library and deviously grinned from ear-to-ear. "My day is getting better and better."