II

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Arc II Chapter 20

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18^th of Anima Lunar 753 AAC

 

Aurora wildly gesticulated in her best efforts to distract. “A big, evil wolfie suddenly appeared and attacked me. No manners. No greeting.”

 

Her little fairy tale visibly stretched the very limits of Rudolf's imagination. “You have a vivid imagination, don't you ... Iris ... Iris ...”

 

“Iris, are you listening?” Rudolf clicked his tongue, as his mood soured. His action awakened Iris from her stupor, who snapped to attention. Her eyes refocused.

 

Rudolf scoffed about her apparent lack of attention. “You spaced out, Iris. Again.”

 

“Sorry, it happens from time to time. It can't be helped.” Iris regained her composure before deflecting with a bright smile. Her smile always worked on Rudolf. Despite his temper, his grudges usually tended to be rather short-lived.

 

In the meanwhile, her gaze lingered on the girl and the traces of aether surrounding her. The currents converged around her, shimmering from beyond the veil. An abnormal occurrence.

 

Rudolf returned his attention to Aurora. “So where did we stop?”

 

“The wolfie attacked with this beamy lightningy thingy. He was like whoosh, and whaash, and whuush, and whiish. So I jumped.”

 

Rudolf pinched the bridge of his nose. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips. “You have the gods' own luck. Unbelievable. It was true, the spirits watched over the drunken, idiots, and little girls.”

 

“...” Aurora declined to comment, instead pretending she didn't hear that.  

 

“Anyway, what happened then?” His eyes narrowed.

 

Aurora contemplated, her little headsie working tirelessly, thinking lots and lots. “I don't remember ...”

 

Iris raised an eyebrow. “You don't remember?”

 

“I don't.” Aurora lowered her eyes.“The wolfie charged another beamie thingie. Afterwards, a big boom followed before everything went whoosh. Then I woke up among rubble everywhere. Everything around me was destroyed and the wolfie dead.”

 

Rudolf listened. Her explanation didn't particularly convince him. “Iris, do you think our girl is telling the truth?”

 

“I am.” Aurora protested, pouting and puffing out her cheeks. “I am telling the truth! Your nonsensical allegations are unfounded.” They ignored her completely.

 

Iris merely shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows, her version appears plausible, though. I believe the dread could have indeed killed itself.”

 

Rudolf furrowed an eyebrow. “Really? But how?”

 

Iris pointed at the crater and the remains of what were once identifiable crystals. “Crystals. I suspect an aetherochemical reaction behind this explosion. Circumstantial evidence is pointing in that direction. The presence of mineral deposits. The enormous force of the explosions. The blast radius. The unnaturally high concentration of aether in the air.”

 

 “An aetherchemi what?” Rudolf raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like some mage stuff.”

 

Aurora sharpened her ears, eavesdropping with great interest.

 

Iris nodded in confirmation. “It is. I read about them during my studies. The manuals in the library mentioned them. It is when crystalised aether starts to interact with its environment. Depending on the elemental nature in question, these reactions can easily lead to an explosion. Such explosions are a common occurrence in underground mining when mined crystals are handled carelessly, so common in fact that they lead to Livonian alchemists discovering the unstable nature of certain types of crystals in particular. unstable. Fire, lightning and wind crystals are all highly reactive when refined and ground into powder, easily inflammable and explosive. Their volatile nature makes them extremely unstable when in powder form. Even a single spark suffices to set them off ... “But I have never thought that such an explosion would be capable of this degree of destruction. The dread wolf must have caused some sort of chain reaction.”

 

“So you are saying she is telling the truth? The dread wolf killed himself?”

 

Iris didn't disagree. “Pretty much.”

 

Aurora crossed her arms, hugging her doll. “Told you so, I am not lying, but evil Uncle Rudolf not believing me.”

 

“...” Rudolf let her insult slide before his stare locked onto the girl. This girl. More luck than brains. “Trust me, this isn't over yet. Regardless of what killed the dread wolf, the fact stands that you left the camp without permission. From now onwards, you will stay with me. I will keep my eyes on you. So don't get any funny ideas, understood?”

 

Aurora looked dejected, her eyes welling up with tears. “But ... But ... But ... That's unfair. I didn't do anything wrong!”

 

Rudolf narrowed his eyes. “Don't even try. Your puppy eyes don't work on me ...”

 

“We are almost there!” A familiar voice interrupted them. It was Lambert.

 

“Slow down, Lambert! I ... can't ... run ... any more. I ... am... exhausted ...” Another familiar face, Michael, raced after him, desperately trying to keep up with him.

 

“Stop bitching, Michael! Your endurance is laughable! You are a decade younger than me! Where is your fire?”

 

“A decade? You are barely five years older than me!!!”

 

“More running, less complaining!” Lambert arrived at the scene, sprinting at full speed with his lungs panting.  “... First.”

 

Michael followed shortly after before collapsing. His lips kissed the hard ground in a state of mortal agony, exhausted to the point of complete physical destruction. But even on the brink of death, the warrior in him raised his arm. “Second.”

 

 ...

...

...

 

Everyone stared. Rudolf stared. Iris stared. Aurora stared. Her doll stared. The will-o-wisps stared.

 

Aurora murmured to her doll, “I think they are strange.” Her doll seconded her assessment without hesitation.

 

Lambert was panting heavily. “Tell ... us, ... what ... happened? We came ... as fast ... as possible.”

 

Rudolf crossed his arms. “That's a long story.” It was.

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