'…the Great War of Ashen Fields, which lasted a hundred years.' A pen scribbled on the paper.
Finally, I have finished my transcripts!
Auren let out a sigh of relief. He wore a black waistcoat made of wool over a white linen shirt and black gloves. His hair was raven-black, his eyes were soft, and his skin was pale. He took a sip of the black coffee, turning his head outside—through the window.
Beyond the glass, horse carriages clattered steadily over the stone-paved road, going in different directions. On both sides, tall trees swayed as their leaves fell in the summer wind. Few pedestrians walked by, some strolled along the path on the side, some were chatting, and some were just standing still.
It is quite busy today, huh…
Auren watched the scene with his pale green eyes, continuing to drink his coffee.
A bell rang from the door. A crimson-haired man entered, wearing gold and white armor made to cover his slim body. A scabbard worn on his left hip. After purchasing a coffee, he walked towards the table in the corner—near the window where Auren was seated.
His armor was shining; unlike the heavy full metal plate, his was slim-cut, forged from the lightweight steel alloy, and shaped to trace the body without restricting any movement. It clung to his limbs, layered like overlapping feathers, allowing him to move with ease.
A starlight-shaped emblem is carved on his right chest, along with decorative etchings curled along the breastplate and shoulders, less for war and more for flair.
"What are you staring at?" Nefion asked, a smile plastered on his face.
Auren moved his eyes towards him and responded. "The world."
"What?" Nefion furrowed his brows and turned his head towards the window. "All I could see were buildings, trees, animals, people, and carriages."
"Exactly." Auren put down his cup and began arranging his papers.
"…" The 'knight's' crimson eyes stared at him intently. Silence settled over for a moment.
A piece of paper flew over Nefion's side. Picking up the paper, he saw what's written inside. "Is this... how you write?" His face was disgruntled. "Why would you write new words over existing ones?"
"Tch. Have you been shut in some cellar?" Auren took the paper from his hand. "This manner of writing is called cross-writing. It serves to economize. The Parliament passed an Act that made sending letters more expensive—especially over long distances—not to mention the cost of paper."
"I didn't know that." Nefion simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Sigh… That's because all you ever think about are swords." The black-haired man sighed in disbelief.
"Hahaha, swords are cool though." Nefion laughed at Auren's remark. "Anyway, what are you writing about?"
"A transcript of Solmaris Kingdom's history," Auren replied plainly.
"History?" Nefion asked as he "put" the cup of coffee into his mouth. "Why are you so obsessed with history, Ren?"
This guy… Does he think that I wouldn't notice him pretending to drink his coffee? Hmm…
"Why do you care?" Auren stared at the 'knight's' action sharply, as if planning something.
Putting down his black coffee, Nefion casually replied, "Well, the world's advancing faster these days, you know? Makes you wonder who'll get left behind… especially those burying their heads in lumps of paper—In the past."
"How ironic." Auren smirked. "The past, huh. What about those who think they are some knight? Knights are also from the past, they don't exist anymore."
"Urk… Ha! You are wrong, knights still exist!" Nefion retorted, gripping his cup tightly.
"Heh, where?" Auren sneered.
"T-They are there somewhere." Nefion added, his voice shaking.
"Hahaha. Sure, sure, Nef." Auren responded and grinned. "By the way, I've been thinking, is your coffee bottomless? Why it hasn't gone down?" he said pointing at Nefion's cup.
"H-Huh? That's strange... I'm sure I already drank half of it." The 'knight' looked at his coffee, feigning ignorance of the question.
Hehehe, this is fun! A 'knight' whose struggling to look dignified.
Auren thought, showing a smile on his face as he watched his friend struggling to kept his cool.
They bantered for a while as customers drifted in and out of the coffeehouse. Auren wiped away tears of laughter while Nefion sat across from him, still frowning.
Gong!
A deep, echoing chime rang through the city's air. Both men turned towards the sound.
"Oh, there's the bell," Auren said as he stood. "That was a good laugh. Anyway, we'll hang out again next time."
"Tch. Just you wait, Ren. I'll get back at you!" The 'knight' said in response, still upset.
They stepped out of the coffeehouse, a warm breeze brushing their faces, the distant hum of the world waiting beyond.
…
Walking through the hall, Auren turned the doorknob and stepped into the office marked 'General Education: History Department.' Inside, an elderly man sat behind a wooden desk, facing the doorway.
His hair was white, and wrinkles could be seen on the side of his eyes. He wore a cutaway coat with a red waistcoat underneath.
"Good morning, Mr. Celiz." Auren bowed and sat on the leather chair placed in front of the wooden table prepared for guests. "I have received your letter. What can I do for you?"
The old man nodded, took something from the bookshelf behind his chair and throw a piece of paper unto the table.
"I need you to help me in something." He calmly said. "I received information about some relics situated in the west of Lower Quinlaris."
Auren took the paper, opened it and saw the contents inside: 'West of Lower Quinlaris street. Old graveyard'.
"I see, what kind of relic is it?" He asked, looking at the professor's black eyes.
"A feather." Mr. Celiz responded, puffing a pipe in his mouth.
What?
Auren was dumbfounded but immediately collected himself and replied. "I see."
Relax, Auren. Maybe it is just some feather by hands… surely it's not a chicken's feather, right?
"And we'll go there today," Mr. Celiz added. "You may outside for me. I will get things ready."
"I understand, sir," Auren said, bowing his head to the professor.
Both men rose from their seats and went their separate ways. After a short while, the old professor left the office as well. Together, they departed from Sol University and boarded a carriage.
…
Inside the carriage, Auren and Mr. Celiz sat on the soft seat—facing each other. While the old professor was busy sorting things out, the young man looked out the window.
Outside, he can see the Gothic church protruding from afar, towering over the buildings within the city. It has a starlight-shaped emblem placed on the roof of the bell tower. Mixed with white and gold color, the church stands out even more.
As they moved southeast, the church grew smaller in the distance. After an hour of travel, they reached the border of the city—Quinlaris. The lively atmosphere of the buildings faded into a lonely stillness, as if the place were devoid of life.
The Lower Quinlaris, which is located southeast of the city, seemed to be neglected by the upper-ups. Few can be seen on the side of the road, clothed in ragged apparel. Dirty. Weak. And scrawny.
This…
Auren furrowed his brows at the scene and was cut off from his thinking by Mr. Celiz.
"Here," he said. "It's an underground ruin, so we'll need light."
The old man gave him a gas lamp and a small leather bag. Auren received the items and opened the bag. Inside, he can see a small wooden slab with marble-like circles having different colors—and a piece of folded paper. Each 'marble' gave off an unusual aura that made him feel drowsy when he stared at it for too long.
"May I ask what this is, Mr. Celiz?" Auren questioned.
"A key." Mr. Celiz replied while puffing his pipe.
Ugh… Can't you smoke somewhere open, old man?
Auren's eyes twitched as he tried to keep his mouth shut. Instead, the old professor continued.
"My—The information I have says the 'relic' was sealed behind the underground walls, and these are the 'keys' to unlock it."
Auren nodded and raised another question, "If I'm correct, these six marble-like pieces form one key. I'm assuming you have the same set in that other bag. So why are there two keys?"
"Hmm, you're not wrong," Mr. Celiz calmly added. "But, we'll soon know when we get there."
He is being dubious, isn't he?
"I see… You're right." Auren smiled with his teeth.
A few minutes later, the carriage stopped. They have reached the Old Graveyard in the Lower Quinlaris. The gate was covered in moss and vines, with a sign 'Quinlaris Graveyard' over the top of the rusty arch gate.
Both men stepped out of the carriage and stood at the entrance for a second, scanning the area.
This grave is giving off an unusual vibe.
Auren thought as they entered the graveyard, led by Mr. Celiz. He glanced over the old professor and widened his eyes.
Great! This old man bought a weapon and didn't even gave me one!
He made a displeased look at the old man but did not proceed to question him. He was confident in his hand-to-hand combat, after all.
They took the single path in the center. The area was not what Auren expected; it was surprisingly spacious. Tall grass covered some gravestones, while moss clung to the larger, broken ones. No one else walked through the place—only them.
After almost thirty minutes of walking, they have reached the end of the graveyard. A stone wall stood there—vines creeping everywhere. In the center of the wall, where the path they have taken is, a wooden door can be seen. To Auren's surprise, the door was slightly open.
It's not locked? Then—
Auren jolted in surprise when Mr. Celiz kicked the door open, causing him to almost curse.
Can't you be more careful?
They entered the entrance and saw stairs going down in the dark, without any light passing through. Auren and the old professor light up their gas lamps, respectively, and resume their way down.
Cough! Cough!
Dust rose into the air, caught in the glow of the gas lamp with each step on the stairs. The young man covered his mouth with his hand. Debris lay scattered across the floor, and cracks lined the walls. Soon after, they reached the underground and met with two pathways.
"You go left. I'll go right," Mr. Celiz instructed.
"Okay." Auren nodded in response.
He watched the professor's back as he walked into the darkness. After watching his back, Auren took a deep breath and stepped towards the path he was facing.
The path was spacious enough to be called a hallway. Shattered pillars cluttered every side. Occasionally, Auren would get his lamp closer to the walls, where he could see unfamiliar characters engraved into it.
Strange… Is this an old language? I haven't encountered these characters in my history classes.
Auren scanned the engravings for a second before moving forward. The deeper he goes, the colder the area gets. After moments of worry, he reached the end of the hallway.
He stretched out the lamp, illuminating the wall. In the middle, an engraved circle—covered in dust—was carved into the wall. Inside, six small hollow circles were placed with lines connecting them. Auren put the lamp down and opened the leather bag. He reached for the slab of small marbles and the folded paper.
He unfolds the paper and sees the same circle engraved on the wall.
"What a shabby sketching," he mocked. "Yellow at the bottom, then green, blue, red, black, and purple…in order."
He studied the sketching and then proceeded to follow the instructions. Wiping the dust from the circle, he carefully put the 'marbles' into their corresponding place.
I hope nothing happens…
Auren's hand trembled a little as he put the 'marbles' as sweats fall down from his temple.
He paused for a second before putting the last piece; a thought popped up in his head. What if something dangerous is waiting inside? Would he be able to run? But nothing has happened up until now, so the former should not possible, right?
Surely, nothing is going to happen.
He hesitated for a second, took a deep breath, and put the last piece of 'marble' into the hollowed circle. Auren closed his eyes tightly as he quickly backed away from the wall.
Nothing happened. He slowly opened his eyes.
What?
His eyes widened; light slowly moved, tracing the circle seal. Auren's heartbeat became faster as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He thought that it was just a simple 'door' embedded in the wall. He stared at the seal—petrified.
The light outlined the seal, unfamiliar characters sparkled, and the small 'marbles' connected to each other like a constellation in the night sky. Soon, all the engravings in the wall brightened, illuminating the whole underground, and the murals on the ceiling could be seen.
The whole area shuddered, dust falling off from the ceilings as the wall slowly opened up a path. But Auren didn't move one bit; he can't. Some unknown force prevents him from running.
Shit! shit! shit! I can't move! Why the hell I can't move!
The wall splits as the underground continues to tremble. A series of poundings can be heard from the walls beside him.
Shortly after the wall finished opening a path—the whole place was dead silent. Auren was momentarily blinded by the brightness of the light coming from inside. When he finally recovered, his pupils dilated and his body tensed up.
"That's… the 'Feather'?"