After cruel hours of searching, they finally founda a tavern, as they entered it, they saw most of the customers were elderly men and drunkards. Ignoring the crowd, both of them went straight to the tavern keeper. "Hey, you. Do you have any commission here?" Valeria asked the tavern keeper. "Commission? Sorry, we don't. We haven't done commissioned here in years." Valeria and Celeste slumps, once again, they're sucked with only three silver coins in their pouch. "Hmph, I should've expected that.." Valeria turned to leave "Wait! Hold on a second!" Valeria turns back, facing the tavern keeper. "I know someone that might be able to help." The tavern keeper said "Really? Who is it?" Celeste asked with curiosity, she leaned closer to the keeper "There is an old lady three buildings from here, go to her, she might be able to help you out." Celeste and Valeria looked at each other for a moment "Thank you for the information, we'll take our leave." Said Celeste firmly.
The adventurers step out of the tavern and quickly went to the place mentioned by the tavern keeper. "Three buildings from the tavern.. this should be it right..?" Valeria said, an unsure expression can be seen on her face. "Yeah, I think so, this building looks.. a bit inhabitable though.. I wonder if anyone actually live here." With a deep breath, Valeria steady herself to take knock on the door. Knock, knock, knock. "Hello? Someone in there?" Asked Valeria as she leaned her ear closer to the door. Suddenly, the door opened by itself, Valeria who was leaned on the door stumbled forward and landed on her front. "Ouch.." she grunted. "Why the hell did it suddenly just open like that?!" Valeria temper rised, when suddenly, a voice called out to her. "Patience young one, great things comes to those who waits" she saw an old lady with a walking stick slowly approaching her.
Valeria quickly rise to her feet, Celeste approach Valeria from behind, helping her getting up. "Are you.. the old lady that the tavern keeper talked about?" Valeria asked, brushing the dusks off her armour. "Indeed I am, and I've been waiting, I know what you seek. Come, and I shall show you, what never has not been foretold." The old lady starts walking further inside the building, expecting both of them to follow.
The two companions were unsure, but desperation get the better of them, and so, they follow the old lady. The building is dusty, the ceiling is full of spider webs, and the furnitures are collecting who knows how long dusks. "Do not meddle in things you need not to, and focus on what is." The old lady warns.
The old lady then stopped at a table, on the table is a stone tablet, with ancient writings written on it. "This is the Tablet of Prophecy. It tells a story of an adventurer, who will soon conquer the power of the Tree of Life." The old lady explained "Tree of Life? But that's just a concept, are you suggesting such thing-" Celeste words were cut off by the old lady "The only thing that doesn't exist, is what you believe doesn't. In truth, there are many things we human never truly understand, bound by mortality, we succumb to what others has made.. normalcy. But indeed, only by exceeding the bounded fate, do we truly embrace the nature of human."
"Take this tablet with you, it shall guide you, in return, rewarding you with whatever you ever wished for." The old lady's face suddenly turns grim "But be warned, out of all heroes, only one will live to tell the tale." She spoke again "You're lacking a third member, the rope that binds you together, find it, and you shall begin, a journey foretold throughout history."
Both Celeste and Valeria was awe struck by the old lady's words, unsure what to do, they opened their mouth to speak, but suddenly, they were teleported out of the building. Both of them were startled, unsure what to do next, they look at each other. "What the.." Said Valeria, confused "That was.. a lot to take in.. normalcy? bounded future? Wishes? It's all so.. hard to understand.." Question after question raced Celeste's mind "She said to search for a third member, a.. rope that binds us together. But she never mentioned anyone specifically.." Suddenly, a name rings in Celeste's mind "Oh! Right! The boy we meet earlier, Noir right? He said he wants to be an adventurer when the time is right, so why don't we invite him to join us?" Celeste offers a suggestion "But he is just a kid, no? Don't you think he would just slow us down?" Valeria criticized the suggestion "That doesn't mean he is less capable than us, after all, he is the only one who was nice to us. Maybe fate isn't all twisted after all." Celeste replied, trying to see things on a more positive perspective.
Valeria sigh "..Fine.. we'll go by your plan, but I won't be the one babysitting him of anything happens." She said firmly, leaving no room for argument. "That's alright, besides, the more the merrier, right?" Valeria rolls her eyes "Hmph, whatever. Let's get this over with."
[---To be Continued---]