Sky-Chasers

Withney noticed behind her teacher were two figures. Withney hadn't noticed at first, but her teacher and the two figures behind her were wearing the same clothes, just with different styles. It was a white coat with gold and light blue accents. Her teacher was wearing it over her shoulders, while the other two people were wearing it properly.

Mrs. Crysis spoke up in an intimidating tone, "What are you doing in the middle of the wilderness at 7:30 at night? Isn't student curfew at 8? Explain yourself."

What do I say? Do I say I was doing a ritual? No, she will think I'm insane. Wait a minute—why is she here at such a time? Also, what was that attack? Wasn't she a Fire Mage? Wait, I'm getting sidetracked. I have to get myself out of this first. What do I say? What do I say? What do I say?

Then suddenly, Withney remembered something that could maybe help her get out of this.

I don't have any other ideas, so I might as well try.

Withney instinctively spoke in a low voice, "Umm… I came here out of curiosity."

"Curiosity? About what?" Dianna Crysis asked, shocked and somewhat confused. She thought to herself:

What could there be for a child to be curious about in the wilderness? She should be about fifteen or so. I also know she's from the Winterskerns, but there's a tacit agreement within the noble houses to never say anything about 'This World' to anyone under eighteen. And by the looks of it, she doesn't know who we are or what a Corrupted is. I'm quite interested to hear why she's here.

Withney once again started speaking in the tone of a scared rabbit who had encountered its natural predator. "I heard some men speaking about an 'artifact' that is in the wilderness. I was interested in the existence of a real-life artifact, that's why I thought, why not come here and see if the stories are true? Also, I thought my friends would be opposed to this idea that's why I refrained from telling them. This is why I am alone. Please forgive me. I had no idea it had gotten this late."

Withney also now felt it. She could act and fake her emotions very well. While telling her reason for being in the wilderness, she made herself look scared and scattered, as if she was incredibly intimidated and couldn't say anything that wasn't the truth. Mrs. Crysis, looking at the seemingly scared Withney, nodded, seemingly accepting her reason, and then fell into deep thought.

Suddenly, one of the people standing in the shadows behind Mrs. Crysis came up to her, while the other seemed to turn his attention toward the slain creature.

It was a young man who looked to be about twenty years old and had quite pale skin. He had dark green eyes and semi-long blond hair. He had a set of normal features that mixed quite well, making him quite delightful to look at.

He came up to Dianna Crysis and whispered something that Withney couldn't hear.

Dianna nodded her head to whatever the blond man said and then told Withney, "You are coming with us, kid. We need you to tell us the details. Feodor! Clean up this scene, collect the 'reward,' and come to accompany us. Me and Lenord are going to take her to get her testimony and see where to go from here. Meet us when you are done. Praise the Guide!"

The man who had yet to step out of the shadows yelled back, "Yes ma'am! And praise the Guide!" while seemingly doing a motion on his chest.

Withney, who was still confused, promptly recognized the use of the phrase "Praise the Guide!"

The Guide refers to the Shepherd! Are they also believers of the Sky-Bound Shepherd?!

The duo started walking, ushering Withney to follow them. Both of them looked to be in deep thought. Suddenly, the blond man spoke up in a comforting tone, "You must be Withney Winterskern, right? I heard about you this afternoon, your teacher told us a lot about you. May I ask what religion you follow?"

During this, Mrs. Crysis did not look back and was deeply engrossed in her thoughts.

Withney, following the blond man's lead, answered, "Umm... yes, my name is Withney Winterskern. I am a follower of the Sky-Bound Shepherd! May I ask why Mrs. Crysis was talking about me? Also, what is your name, sir, and where are we going?"

The blond man replied, "Perfect—we also follow the Church of the Shepherd! So, we are fellow believers. To answer your questions: I am Lenord Howell. She was talking about how talented you were! After all, we could use some talent. Anyway, we are going to our base of operations. We are part of a group called the Sky-Chasers. We are affiliated with the Church, so do not worry. We just want to ask you about the man you saw and the 'artifact.' It will be over very quickly, then you can go back."

Withney suddenly had questions:

Sky-Chasers? What does he mean? Affiliated with the Church of the Shepherd?

She felt that it was not appropriate to ask these questions now and decided to wait.

Soon, they got out of the wilderness and saw a carriage waiting for them. The three of them got on in silence. During the whole carriage ride, no one spoke a single word for one reason or another.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of a building on a busy street. Just a little up the road was the St. Helena Cathedral. It was the Church of the Shepherd of Hansforth City. Withney also knew the name of this street due to her mom being a devout believer and telling her about the cathedral, its importance, and its location. The street was named after the saint—the street is known as Helena Street.

They soon got out, entered the building, and climbed to the third floor. There was a sign above the door:

The Mclain Security Group

As Withney entered the lobby, a scent of fresh vanilla and jasmine hit her. It felt soothing, like a sense of security had washed over her.

Suddenly, Mrs. Crysis yelled, "Captain! You need to come look at this!" The loud noise broke Withney from her daze.

After smelling this soothing scent, she had, for a second, forgotten her nervousness and fear. She looked at her dress, which was covered in dirt and blood. Looking at it made her frown, but in that same second, she was hit with a wave of nervousness and fear. She once again remembered her situation.

As she was waiting for this "Captain," she first looked at her teacher, who was looking straight ahead and didn't notice her, and then at Lenord, who noticed her and smiled.

She looked around her to get a feel of where she was. It looked to be a reception area with a desk and chair. It was tiled with hardwood and had sofas, coffee tables, and some other accessories on the walls.

As she looked around, suddenly, the door beside the reception desk flew open. A figure wearing the same white coat as the rest came out. Suddenly, Withney became wide-eyed after seeing who it was.

It was—

Sxailar Mercury

The Archmage!