Rising Threats

CHAPTER NINE: Rising Threats

—LATER THAT DAY...

Returning to the desolated corridors of the Sinisters' lair, Serenity and Thaddeus haste through the clandestine halls. Unknown to them, their fellow Sinisters have been awaiting their return.

"Oh, you've returned rather quickly." Langwidere, wearing her porcelain mask, calmly welcomed the two weathered Sin Wielders. Her tone was ever so eerily pleasant, but her words always carried an underlying menace. Thaddeus and Serenity, whilst under their honored masks, bowed in respect to their senior.

"What happened with you two?" Sidwell mocked. "Beaten by mere Paladins, were you? Hah, I always knew you're weak! They were probably Iron-ranks too!"

Thaddeus shot Sidwell a fierce glare under his mask, silently warning him to keep his mouth shut.

"Brother, please..." Dolora, seated across Sidwell, dismally reprimanded.

Langwidere seemed unfazed by Sidwell's comments, choosing to ignore them, her attention was on Thaddeus. "Brother Thaddeus? Explain."

The said male responded back in a hushed tone. "Y-yes, we have lost. But something else came to light. We were beaten, but it wasn't by who you think. It was by a girl!"

"A girl? What do you mean?" Langwidere quirked.

"The statue of Saint Verdana has come alive! She holds immense Arcane Energy! As if it were the gods! As strong...as an Omnipotent!"

The whole room stiffened in disbelief. The room stiffens in disbelief as the other Sin Wielders murmured in gossip among themselves.

—"so legends of the old statue and its rumors were true..." one sinister muttered.

—"It's as strong as they say..." another whispered.

The only one not shocked was Langwidere, who responded with an eerie and cold laugh - allowing it to bounce off the dead walls. A look of confusion swept across the Sin Wielders and their masked faces.

Unsure why she was cackling, Thaddeus hesitantly asked, "Sister Langwidere, is there...something humorous we fail to see?"

"It seems Lord Bishop foresaw this all too well," she finally spoke. "Now that the statue has finally awakened, we will soon grow closer to our goal! An Omnipotent of Xakheian blood is in our sights at last!

Soon, the 42 Worlds shall fall within the hands of Our Immortal Mother. And 'Echelon' will be soon in our reach." Her voice becomes more merrier as she continued, even the other Sin Wielders were left stunned.

"And you two," Langwidere then turned to Thaddeus and Serenity. "Your failures in combat have not gone unnoticed. I know you both are strong and powerful in your own ways. And yet you stumbled. Is this weakness, I fear?"

Thaddeus straightened his back, standing his ground in front of the intimidating figure. "W-we can assure you next time we will not fail—"

"Not good enough," Langwidere's unforgiving aura reverberated. "Our Mother doesn't tolerate such low levels of disgrace. She demands perfection from Her avatars."

Serenity quickly held her mask tightly against her face, gripping the edges so hard as she felt the metal band forcing against her grip. A mysterious force was threatening to pull her mask off, as well as on Thaddeus' side. 'No...she's pulling our masks off! If she does...

...she'll kill us!'

Their breaths became shallow as they struggled to maintain their composure. But soon the force stopped, with their masks still intact. The two sighed with relief, and quickly groveled in mercy. "Forgive us, Sister Langwidere!"

"We will not fail. Not ever." Thaddeus shakingly declared. Langwidere's cold smile widened even further beneath her mask, her eyes glinting with interest. "Indeed...But you both have shown great potential. I know you bear the essence of Our Mother into your flesh, just like all of us here. It's just a matter of you harnessing your power. Consider this your lesson..." She let her words trail off, staring at them dead in the eye that seemed to pierce into their souls.

"Yes, Lead Sinistress," Thaddeus replied, standing from his ground. Whereas Serenity was silently panting to herself, both from the intense moment of death from almost removing her mask in front of Langwidere, and with her dominating presence. But at the same time, she was internally enthralled. She found herself smiling like a madman, replacing that fear with full-on adrenaline.

From a moment of near death experience like that, it only made her more excited. She found it as a pure act of admiration.

"Brother Sidwell, Sister Dolora..." she commanded.

"Yes, Sister." They obeyed.

"Set out at once to locate Sloth and Lust. I have a strong feeling that their crests lie untouched, whether dead or alive. And if we retrieve those, we will hold a significant amount of power in our hands. Do not disappoint."

"Yes, Lead Sinistress..." Sidwell bowed his head in respect, the arrogance draining out of his voice now. Dolora bowed as well, before both quickly departing their office.

As the meeting ended, Langwidere then turned to Thaddeus and Serenity, hearing their footsteps echoing off the dead walls. After they left, her expression still remained a mystery. She knew what must be done. She stared into space as she wonders on one thing that has constantly been on her mind for the last 20 years.

If not, many decades. Centuries even. After all this time, she had begun to ponder...

"What hole could you be dwelling in, Lord Bishop?"

________________________________________________________

—BACK IN CHROMESTOWN...

—THAT NIGHT...

As word spread of Saint Verdana's reawakening, the Galisboro Region buzzed with excitement over the revival of the Verdana Harvest Festival.

The celebration had been a beloved tradition, but this time it was going to be even more special. The townspeople worked tirelessly to prepare, adorning the streets with colorful ribbons, flags and lanterns, transforming the town into a lively spectacle once again. The anticipation was palpable, as the citizens eagerly looked forward to the festival's date, set on the Apple Picking day, as well as their beloved statue had miraculously come to life.

Hundreds of Chromestown's people flocked to witness their 'living statue,' turning the town into a bustling hub of excitement.

Crowds of children happily skipped around Maeva, offering her gifts like flowery crowns that gave her a nature deity appearance. She began showcasing a bit of her magic, growing flowers from the ground and eliciting gasps and awe from the onlookers. The excitement and admiration from the townspeople swept over her, making Maeva appear like a true guardian of their town.

Quinn and Paige, standing not too far away, grinned in amusement.

"Well, looks like you're the star of the show now," Quinn teased. "I hope you don't let it go to your head..."

Maeva chuckled, adjusting the flowery crown. "Nah, but I wasn't expecting all this from just being a statue."

Mayor Elsinore slowly approached, coming to express his gratitude to the three. "I'd like to thank you again for saving our town. If you'd left earlier, who knows what would've happened."

"Our pleasure, Mayor," Paige acknowledged. Quinn nodded in agreement.

"Sir Lockewood?" The Mayor turned to Quinn. "I just received a message from the House of Vincent. The Duke wants audience with you at his castle. Along with Miss Maeva."

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, I guess it's better than heading to the Capital if it's the Duke."

"And as for the sinisters," the Mayor continued. "We fear they're now targeting Miss Maeva. She must be protected at all costs. Sterling is still the ideal choice, but that's in the hands of Duke Reuben, the Head of the Assemblage," Elsinore informed.

Quinn grunted audibly at the words. "Fine. We'll head out tomorrow morning. Come on, Mae. Follow me."

"Oh? Okay!" She skipped after him, treading down the busy streets. Taking a walk, Maeva toured around and saw a collective of bright smiles - looks of appreciation being exchanged by many.

"Wow. This place is so much alive at night, huh..."

Quinn chuckled. "It gets even livelier when the festival starts to kick off. Since the real party is scheduled at the end of the month, we'll come back around to see it," he assured with a thin smile crossing his face as they strolled through the vibrant streets. The festival preparations continued around them, with the townsfolk eagerly anticipating the grand event.

As they walked through the town, the sounds of the bustling festival preparations echoed around them. Children ran past, giggling and playing, while some townsfolk hurried to and from their homes, carrying decorations and supplies for the upcoming event. The air was thick with anticipation, and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement.

Quinn turned over to her and chuckled, noticing the energy in the air. "Can you feel it, do you?" he asked Maeva.

"Hm?"

"The energy in the air is almost enticing. It's almost as if the whole town is holding its breath, just waiting for the biggest day ever."

Paige chimed in with a flick of her glasses, "And it'll be an even greater celebration than the previous years. With you as a living symbol of hope for these people."

Absorbing the atmosphere of warmth and joy, Maeva couldn't help but smile. "It's really beautiful here. Guess it's a good thing that I woke up to see this."

As they walked, she pondered back to the power that was surging in her body currently. And the souls coming from the Emerald Legacy. Somehow it restored some of her memories, with a face that came to mind.

One that she felt she hasn't seen in more than a while. She can't remember the face, but a name lingered in her thoughts. A person who she long since forgotten, someone she wished was still alive. And someone she wished she could see one last time. An old friend from long ago.

'Rhea...'

"Hm?" Quinn noticed her contemplative expression. "Something on your mind, Mae?"

The girl hesitated before speaking, "N-no...it's nothing. I was just thinking about...stuff."

"Still can't remember everything, huh?"

"Not really. It's like it's there but...it's all scribbled in ink." She murmured. Avoiding to say any more of her time trapped in limbo. All she knew was that tree was the reason she was stuck there. And she had nothing to do with it.

"Don't worry. It'll come to you..." Quinn led Maeva through the busy streets where the aromas of various dishes filled the air, inciting a fierce bout of hunger in her.

"So, what are you in the mood for?" He asked.

"Ooo..." Her eyes widened with excitement. "Can we go to that tavern with that pork from earlier!?"

Quinn smiled from her sudden boisterous energy. "Sure, it's on me—"

"Great! I want 6 plates worth!"

"Okay...wait, huh?! 6 plates?!" Quinn was stunned at the order from the red-haired girl. "Isn't that a lot?"

"Hey, I'm really hungry! I got a pretty empty stomach after today."

"I guess I can't argue with that. Hey, do you drink?" Quinn ventured for thought.

"Drink? What do you mean by that?" She questioned.

"You know, beer? Alcohol?"

"Oh, I think I've had some back in my time. Why do you ask?"

Quinn stretched out a mischievous smirk. "Let's have a game. If you don't mind playing."

"You're on!"

Paige paled, she feared only the worst. "Oh no."

***

Edited: 12/Jun/24

【Author's Note】

–hey yall, hope you enjoyed the story so far.

–lebzachannn

***