Nory

Okay, maybe this is a bit evil, I did promise I'd post this chapter quicker, but I didn't say what It'd be about! I mean, come on, I have to leave you guys on a cliff and then cut out to another scene at least once, it's like a rite of passage you know?

Head Bishop Glenn sat in his office somewhere in the center of the human capital, doing some paperwork while massaging his temples, wondering how it came to this. He wore a simple white robe that went down almost to his feet, while his face showed the crinkles of old age. With light green hair and grey eyes, he seemed to be deeply contemplating his life choices, when he heard a knock on the door.

"You may enter."

*creaaak*

two men entered the room, one of them tall and built, with blue eyes and black hair, having some grey hair on his roots. The other is slimmer and more discreet, with all grey hair that seems to be his natural color, and black eyes that examine the room before settling in the Bishop.

The black-haired one closed the door behind him before stepping closer and speaking with a grin, "Yo, Glenn! You look like shit, dude!"

The Bishop sighed and said, "Arthur, V, while I'd like to say it's good to meet you after so long, I'm sure you can see that I'm not in the greatest of moods. A certain... Problem has come to my attention recently, which I'm sure you can guess what."

"Well, you wouldn't gather the previous Hero's party members for nothing, so what is it? New blood is having problems with the training? Lack of motivation maybe? I'm sure we can figure it out." Arthur sounded optimistic, after all, very little can break a Hero's spirit, in the worst-case scenario, he was sure that he could sort it out by talking with them.

V sighed looking at his old-time friend, and said somewhat quietly but still loud enough so he could hear it, "Once again you're totally clueless by what's happening around you." Then he turned towards the Bishop, "Let me guess, the rumors about the Hero's disappearance are true?" causing Arthur to do a double-take.

"The WHAT?" Arthur seemed furious at this point and was ready to get an explanation out of Glenn until the door was kicked open behind them

*BAM*

A woman with long pointy ears, plump lips, white hair that reached her waist and piercing yellow eyes that seemed to see through everything walked in while speaking, "Hehe, what's this, the old group's back together? Why wasn't I invited eh?"

Arthur had already turned around ready for an attack, but when he heard her voice and saw her face, he was surprised. "Alice?! Since when were you living close to humans?"

She sneered at him while saying, "I wasn't. But the spirits started to freak out a week ago, so I decided to make the journey to make sure you guys didn't fuck up too badly" Then she turned towards the Bishop with a look of disgust on her face, "Though it seems I was too late, and this incompetent fool managed to do the worst fuck up you could possibly do"

Arthur's mouth was wide open while listening to Alice, while V was quietly observing the situation. Glenn seemed to be somewhat surprised when his door was kicked down but regained his composure fairly quickly.

Glenn sighed, knowing that things just got significantly more complicated. While the Elves are a mostly neutral race, some like Alice go out on their own to explore the world. In one such outing, she ended up running into the previous Hero, and the rest is history. "Alice, I know we're not in a great spot currently, but I've already sent some people out to search for her. No matter what happens, you know that almost nothing can kill the Hero. As long as she doesn't go directly to the Demon Lord's castle-"

Alice walked forward and slammed her hands on the table, "That's exactly what happened! Will you start taking this seriously for once? May I remind you whose species is currently in a war with the demons out of their own volition? Not mine!"

Everyone else's face drained of color, but Glenn managed to keep himself from slamming his face on the desk, so he could ask the important questions. "What exactly do you mean by our own voli-"

"Shut up! Of all things, of course, you're more worried about your pride than the safety of your people! May I remind you of how only a century ago, the ambassador and tribe leader of the wolf beastkin came to sign a peace treaty, just for some spoiled noble moron to try to kidnap his daughter, ending up in him destroying a third of the capital while looking for her? Then the oh-so-powerful church declared all beastkin demons and a threat to humanity, driving them out of their homes? And how the current Demon Queen has extended offers for a possible peace treaty between races, just to be ignored? Do you know what's funny? The only reason the beastkin haven't invaded and wiped out the capital is that they actually prefer it over in the demon continent! While you're out here more worried about making a profit than taking care of the single most important human in the world, the demons are making technological advancements at a rapid pace! You may be able to get off a surprise attack while taking advantage of their young, but do you really think that humans could handle an elite force of beastkin and demons invading? There's a reason why us Elves don't usually get involved in your stupid fight, the only reason I helped Finn is because he was an exception! A true Hero with a heart of gold, sadly he suffered the same fate as all the other ones" She spat with such venom in her voice, that if looks could kill, Glenn would be buried and dead by the end of her first sentence.

Glenn has a harsh look on his face, but he knows he can't mess with Alice, so he tries to talk it out, "Alice, I understand you're upset but-"

"You don't understand anything, Bishop. I've been alive since your great-great-great-great-grandmother's father fucked his wife to start your shitty family tree that would've ended in a circle if not for the laws prohibiting inter-marriage the king pushed at the time. I'm not just upset, I'm immensely disappointed. Not only has the church failed the Hero by not protecting her family, but you have failed your followers by losing the one most important asset you had. If you really cared, you wouldn't just send some people, you'd get every available hand in to fucking help!" She sighed, "I'm done with this shit, you can go die in a ditch for all I care. Besides, it seems like the little Hero is having a better time with the Demon Queen than she ever had with you bastards. Maybe I should visit" She turned around and left through the door, not bothering to close it behind her, as V shook his head and headed out as well.

Arthur was still speechless, but managed to regain his composure and spoke, "Seems like she was kinda mad"

Glenn spoke through gritted teeth, "Yeah"

Nory

A Paladin and a Rogue walk into a tavern...