Chapter 12: Roots of the past

As the butler guided Kael and Abel through the long corridors of the Arves mansion, they passed portraits lining the walls-paintings of ancestors, their thick mustaches, plump cheeks, and bellies almost a family trademark. Each one seemed a reflection of prosperity, age-old wealth that had flowed through the generations. The paintings of both men and women wore the same proud expression, their features carved into perfection.

Yet, as they turned a corner and approached a larger, more prominent portrait, Kael and Abel stopped dead in their tracks. Both of them stared at the family painting, the hairs on the back of their necks rising slightly. The likeness was unmistakable, yet there was something subtly wrong about it-something that struck them both at the same time, though they couldn't quite put their finger on it.

The painting depicted a man sitting on an extravagant, velvet-upholstered couch. His face, round and jovial, was unmistakably familiar. This was Lord Arves, though in the portrait, he appeared younger, more vibrant. His dark hair was slicked back neatly, and his thick mustache, which seemed almost exaggerated, framed his face in a proud expression. Seated beside him was a woman with long, flowing dark brown hair, her bright green eyes glinting with a soft, maternal glow. Her sun-kissed skin seemed to glow even through the painted strokes, capturing her beauty in a way that almost made her seem alive.

And at the center of the couch, there was a young girl-perhaps no older than ten-dressed in a pale dress, her face innocent yet striking. The girl's features mirrored her mother's with uncanny precision, though her hair was cut shorter and more curly.

Kael and Abel exchanged a glance, a faint chill running down their spines. There was something deeply familiar about this girl, though they couldn't place why. Both of them felt it-the strange sense that they'd seen her somewhere before, though it couldn't have been possible.

Before either of them could voice their thoughts, the butler noticed their pause. "Ah, I see the family portrait has caught your attention," he said, his voice carrying a hint of pride as he stepped forward.

"This is Lord Arves, his wife, Lady Sharon, and their lovely daughter, young lady Liana Arves," the butler explained, gesturing toward each figure. His tone was respectful, but there was an undercurrent of sadness that lingered in his words.

Kael and Abel blinked in unison. Liana? Our Liana? Arves? Our Liana is an Arves?

Both of them took a moment to process what they'd just heard. The image of the young girl, dressed in fine clothes and framed by wealth, was the same girl they had come to know in the guild-Liana, the cheery and goofy girl that loved helping in the kitchen and reading about plants, was actually of noble descent.

"She's the daughter of a baron?" Abel murmured under his breath, his usually stoic expression momentarily faltering.

Kael shot him a glance, eyes wide with surprise. "That's… that's impossible, right?" He couldn't help but whisper, though his voice carried the shock of their discovery. "How did she end up in the guild, then?"

The butler didn't seem to notice their disarray, his hands clasped neatly in front of him. "Lady Liana is a fine young woman. She left home 2 years ago to pursue a different life, though I can't speak for the reasons behind it." The sadness in his voice grew more evident as he spoke of her departure. "Lord and Lady Arves have never quite been the same since her leaving... nor has the family name. But it was her choice, and I respect it."

As the butler led Kael and Abel down a narrow corridor, the revelation of Liana's noble origin had them both dazed . The mansion felt colder the deeper they went, the silence between them growing thicker. The butler's demeanor, once cordial and formal, had become more guarded. He seemed reluctant to reveal any more, his every step cautious, as though he feared the very walls might betray his words and inform his lord.

"Can you tell me more about Lady Liana?" Kael ventured, breaking the silence. His voice was casual, but his curiosity was clear. "You mentioned that she left home years ago... that she chose to leave her family, her life as a noble."

The butler hesitated, casting a quick glance back at them, as though weighing whether he should continue. After a long pause, he spoke quietly. "It's not something I'm meant to discuss with outsiders, but... since you're here to help, I suppose it's only fair you know the truth. Lady Liana didn't leave on her own accord, you see." He sighed, his voice tinged with sadness. "Her parents-Lord and Lady Arves-locked her away when she was just a child."

Kael and Abel exchanged confused glances. "Locked her away?" Abel asked, his brow furrowing. "Why?"

"Because of her magic," the butler said, his voice low. "She awakened her powers at the age of seven. For most, that's a sign of a rare gift, something to be nurtured. But for the Arves family, magic is... dangerous. They were afraid of what it might mean for their future if she got involved in the wizard world. So, when she manifested her abilities, they locked her in the mansion, keeping her hidden away from the world. They were terrified of what might happen if she got more active with wizards."

Kael's expression softened. He had never known Liana's true past, but hearing it now-it felt like a gut punch or a knife twist, a crueler truth than he'd ever expected from the happy and outgoing girl who had always seemed so free.

As the butler led Kael and Abel deeper into the mansion, Kael's mind was racing. It was hard to focus on the next step when his thoughts kept returning to Liana. She'd always around joked about everything, her noble backround, a fact that Kael had laughed off when she mentioned it before. After all, she was so down-to-earth, so unlike someone who would fit into the world of high society.

Kael couldn't help but recall that moment. Her bright, teasing smile as she said, "I'm from a noble family, so, unfortunately, I was trapped inside my own house for a long time." He had assumed it was some sort of playful exaggeration, a way for her to bond with him over their shared experience of being confined. At the time, it had felt like an attempt to lighten the mood, to help Kael feel at ease. He had smiled at the thought and played along back then. To think she was actually serious. "I'm such an idiot" Kael he thought to himself.

"And that's why she ran away?" Kael asked, almost quietly, as he processed the weight of the revelation.

"Yes," The butler confirmed, his eyes distant. "Liana couldn't bear it any longer. The isolation, the fear... she escaped the day she turned 17. Disappeared into the night. Her parents were furious, of course. They tried searching for her, but she was clever, her tracks completely disappeared right at the border of the forest. Her parents believe that someone might have helped her cause they doubted that her control over her magic was that great with no training."

"How could they do that to her?" Abel muttered under his breath, his anger barely contained. "She was a kid, for gods' sake."

The butler's face softened, sympathy flickering in his eyes. "The Arves family... they're not cruel. Not at heart. But fear does strange things to people, especially when it comes to something they don't understand. They didn't know how to handle what Liana was becoming. Her magic... they were afraid it would make her a target, that she'd attract the wrong attention. And in a world like this one, where power can so easily spiral out of control, I suppose it's not so difficult to see why they thought they were protecting her."

Abel's brow furrowed. "But keeping her locked up? That's not protection. It's control."

"Exactly," the butler replied quietly. "And that's why she left. She couldn't take it anymore. I can't help but wonder if she is still alive and doing okay."

Kael and Abel kept their breaths, they didn't know if they should reveal that they knew Liana.

Suddenly, the butler stopped in front of a big walnut-colored wooden door, its intricate carvings gleaming faintly in the dim light of the corridor. The door was large, imposing, and framed by towering, dark wood columns that stretched to the ceiling. There was a sense of finality to this door-like a threshold they had to cross to enter a new chapter of this strange and unsettling tale.

...

"We're outside Lord Arves's study," he butler said, his voice lower now, as though the very air around them had grown heavier. He paused, glancing at Kael and Abel before continuing.

"Lord Arves has been quite unwell, as I mentioned earlier. His health has deteriorated steadily over the past few weeks, ever since the soil began to poison the land. He's not one to allow many visitors these days, but since you accepted his quest he will most likely permit you to speak to him."

Kael and Abel looked at each other before taking a deep breath each, because after learning of Liana's childhood, they were ready to burn and bury the whole place down.

Without another word, the butler reached for the door handle and gave it a slow turn. The heavy door creaked open with a low, almost mournful sound. Inside, the room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of a fire burning low in the hearth. The walls were lined with shelves of dusty books, piles of paper sheets scattered everywhere, sitting behind a large, ornate desk sat Lord Arves. His once proud and round figure was slumped, his face gaunt and drawn, pale as the winter moon. His thick mustache, though still present, appeared ragged now, and his once-vibrant eyes were clouded with exhaustion. He wore a deep burgundy robe, the rich fabric looking faded and threadbare in the firelight. His hand rested weakly on a thick stack of papers, but it seemed like the weight of the world had made him incapable of lifting it.

The sight of the lord, once the picture of wealth and power, now so frail, struck Kael and Abel alike. They had expected someone different, their anger almost fully extinguished, they could feel nothing more than pity for this man.

"Lord Arves," the butler said softly, stepping aside to allow Kael and Abel to enter. "These are the wizards who have accepted your quest and have come to investigate the soil poisoning. They wish to speak with you."

Lord Arves's head tilted slightly in their direction, his eyes slow to focus on them. There was a weariness in his gaze, a resignation that spoke of someone who had long ago given up on solutions, who had seen too many failures.

Lord Arves's lips twitched into what could only be described as a faint, sad smile. "Wizards?" His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. "It's about time, we've been trying everything for weeks now. But nothing worked, the soil... the land... it's as though the earth goddess herself has decided to turn against us."

"Melodramatic much? It takes a day to get to Eldoria from here by carriage, another day to return and we've been doing our best to get here on foot for nearly 2 days now. Altough famine is quite serious so I'll keep my mouth shut". Kael thought inside his head.

Abel stepped forward, his tone steady and firm. "We've seen the condition of the poisoned soil and I believe that I can do something about it."

Lord Arves let out a breath, "If you're so sure of it, you can start in the morning. James, take them to the guest rooms."

"As you wish my lord." the butler bowed, before escorting Kael and Abel to the guest rooms, as they had to go through the long corridor of potraits again.

...

As the butler bade them farewell for the night, Kael and Abel entered their guest room, exhaustion crashing over them like a wave. They immediately locked the door behind them, then slumped onto the two unmade beds, the long trip they had to go through, the frustration they felt for their friend and now they had to think of a plan to cure the soil and fast.. The room was quiet, dimly lit by a single candle flickering on a small nightstand.

"So recap over the last two days?" Kael suggested, breaking the silence, though his voice was tired.

Abel let out a slow exhale and nodded, his tone matching Kael's fatigue. "Sure, let's do that."

Kael gestured as he spoke. "We go into the woods, we meet a strange druid and their fairy friends-who, by the way, called you a fake dragon. Which, I guess, makes sense since you're, you know, human-then we arrive here. We see how bad the soil situation is, and we learn that our good friend and guild mate wasn't joking about being a noble and that she ran away from home."

Abel nodded slowly, his brow furrowing as he considered everything they had just discovered. "That about sums it up," he said, his voice carrying a note of weariness, but also a deeper concern. "Feels like we just uncovered a whole mess of things, and none of it adds up and I don't know where to even start from."

Kael leaned back, running his hands through his hair. "So, what's the plan, Abel? We need to fix this soil problem fast, and-".

"Well, I'll just try to heal the soil with my earth magic and you can look around and see if you can find a negative reaction and at night we can try to see if we can spot anyone using poison magic near the crops." Abel said.

Kael nodded, his mind already racing with the idea of sneaking around the grounds. "So, I'm your eyes and ears, got it." He looked up at Abel, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "You know, for someone who doesn't talk much, you're starting to sound like a real leader."

Abel gave him a half-smile in return. "Someone's got to take charge around here."

Kael laughed softly, the sound of it slightly hollow in the quiet room. But as Abel's face grew more serious, his smile faded. Abel leaned forward, his voice dropping an octave, tension thickening the air between them. "You know," he began, "there's still something else that doesn't add up."

Kael froze, his tone turned more serious, his voice quieter. "What do you mean?"

"James told us that Liana ran away two years ago," Abel said, looking at Kael intently. "But Liana joined us only last year. That means there's a whole year of her life that's unaccounted for." He paused, thinking about it. "And that... that's not something you just ignore."

Kael's posture shifted, a knot forming in his stomach as the implications started to unravel. "Go on..." His voice was quieter now, the seriousness of the situation settling in.

Abel continued, his voice steady, though the concern in his eyes deepened. "James also said that her tracks completely stopped at the forest, and that she had no formal training. If she really didn't know anything about magic, how could she just disappear without a trace?"

Kael felt a chill creep over him. His voice dropped, filled with suspicion. "There's one thing we know for sure-her family was terrified of her magic. They locked her away, kept her hidden from the world. But they don't know everything about what she could do." He let out a slow breath.

"And they said that someone might have helped her."Abel leaned forward, his gaze intense. "What if maybe Orlae or their fairy friends helped her? It's very likely." His voice trailed off as his mind worked through the possibilities.

Kael's stomach tightened. "If Orlae or their fairy friends were involved... then we have to figure out why they helped her. And where the hell she was for that entire year." Kael said, realizing that things got complicated for no reason once again.

Abel sighed, "First things first, we fix the soil and figure out exactly what or who is behind it, then we can go look around for questions."

Kael nodded, "Alright, that works for me."

...

Not far from Sylverholt village, there was a bandit camp discussing what their next move should be.

"Hughes has been messing up their soil for nearly three weeks, and there aren't any easy routes around here, so merchants can't come easily. We should attack soon," said one of the bandits, chewing on a chicken leg.

"Not only that, but the howling is getting louder every night. I don't want to fight whatever is making that sound," the second bandit said.

"SILENCE!" the leader of the bandits shouted.

"But Gunt- I mean, boss, they're right. We need to get this over with and fast. Something bad is going to happen," a third bandit pleaded.

"You think I don't know? Our supplies are also running low, but our scout said that two mages have appeared in the village. We need to see what they're capable of first, then we can raid this pathetic village," the leader, Gunther, said. He was a man in his 30s, with a topknot and thin facial hair around his mouth.

A large howl could be heard in the distance, from deep within the other side of the forest.

...

"It's getting rowdier by the day. What kind of monster is this? No matter the traps or baits I set, it still comes back," Orlae sighed heavily.

A couple of fairies turned off their lights and hid in the trees and bushes out of fear.

Orlae placed their hand on the tree, feeling the claw marks the unknown beast had left."I hope Kael and Abel will be able to deal with this," Orlae sighed once more. "I want to try their stew again."