A team of enforcers was sent to retrieve Elke's corpse. Major and company watched silently as they packed his body into a leather bag while wearing gloves and masks. They zipped the bag over what was left of Elke — legs, torso, head — the pieces barely fitting together anymore. Then, they lead Major's team to the camp where they stuffed the body into one of the freezer trucks. Maple approached her recruits, her hand slightly trembling.
"…Are you all fine?"
The group nodded very slowly, their eyes not meeting hers. She nodded, sighing heavily. Then, she pointed at their tent.
"You can rest now."
The team headed towards their tents with dead eyes. After they all entered, Maple stood there for a few moments before heading towards the medic's tent. As she entered, she saw Arthur slumping on the bed with Kay doing the same.
"Captain." She called out.
Arthur didn't react for a moment as if he was lost in a dream but then, he sat straight.
"Yes…?"
"The body has been retrieved." She said slowly.
Arthur blinked, nodding. "Good…How are Major and the rest…of his team?"
"Their resting as of now." Maple replied.
"Good…Good…" Arthur replied in a robotic manner.
"Captain, Are you okay?" Maple asked.
Arthur went silent. Kay glanced at them with a glint of pity in his eyes.
'Even thought I didn't converse with Major's team much…I can still feel a bit of their sadness.'
Arthur's lips bubbled up and down, his breathing slowly becoming frantic. Fortunately, he got himself under control and replied to Maple's question.
"No…I'm most certainly not…one of the new guys just died…I thought I had made them into real enforcers who could survive anything but…guess I was wrong…Maybe I not a good leader after all…"
Maple jumped in, trying to assure her captain. "Don't say that to yourself. Maybe he was defeated by something we don't know yet…"
"Remember your saying captain…" Kay added. "An enforcer must have a flexible heart."
Arthur smiled slightly with sadness.
'I feel like my mind is slowly being torn apart…there will come a time where it breaks completely, won't it?'
As he thought that, he sensed a huge surge of Chaos near the camp. Arthur knew what it was immediately – Chaos fragment. Realizing this too, Maple sprang out. Right then, Arthur said in a loud voice.
"The supreme commanders in a bad mood…she'll take care of it."
As chaos beasts began exiting the fragment, the shadows cast by the sun dampened. As if in a rage, they rushed towards the beast, tearing and ripping them apart. Inside of the main tent, Nyx was clenching her fists while saying in a cold tone.
"You opened at the wrong time~ Now, I'm in somewhat of a bad mood and an alpha-level fragment is just the thing to release my anger."
With a mischievous smile, she controlled the shadows, tearing the beasts apart as if they were meat. The monsters couldn't even get half-way to the camp before they were turned into sliced bread. After minutes of this, Nyx sighed and leaned back in her chair.
"I'm all done. Hey! Someone seal that fragment!"
Without hesitation on the outside, Amelia began casting a magic circle. She pushed it away which made it land on the fragment like a sticker. The rift shook violently before calming down and being sealed. The remaining chaos beasts stared in confusion as they combusted into flesh and bones.
"Good practice." Amelia commented.
She crossed her arms while sitting and wiped the blood off her face. While she cleaned herself with a face of disgust, her hands suddenly had six fingers. She frowned and waited for them to disappear. After they disappeared, she stood up and headed off.
'I knew I shouldn't have stayed outside…'
***
As the time approached, enforcers took down their tents, preparing for another long journey. They packed the tents and loaded into the safari vehicles. After all of them were ready, the drivers activated the car and began driving into the wilderness. Inside of Maple's vehicle, the air was…awkward. Major and his group were the quietest – acting like dead fish in a bucket. She was also in that bucket.
'It's hard to see your teammate die for the first time…but they're taking it better than I expected. I mean…I'm feeling something too.'
She clutched her chest, his heart aching wildly. Eventually, she calmed down and leaned back, drawing a deep breath. The cars drove for few hours, weaving through the trees and rocks.
As the sun began to reach its peak, they suddenly came to a stop near the bank of a waterfall. Nyx' eyes widened, whistling in excitement.
"Now, this…is what I'm talking about."
She and David exited the car. Lancelot jumped out of another and met them, gazing at what they had stumbled upon.
A temple.
Below the water fall was a circular scared temple with curved roofs that had a serpentine dragon wrapped around it. It's red, yellow and orange design contrasted greatly with the dim sight of the rocks. The water fell atop the peak of the temple and spread out in all directions. But most intriguing of all, it had many small statues…of winged beasts.
Nyx carefully analyzed the exterior of the temple as Sterling, Charles and the other enforcers hopped out.
"Just more proof to the origination theory. I mean, how could you not think there was human life on here when there's this." Sterling stated.
"I completely agree, sir." Charles lit a cigar. "Now, let's explore it. My blood is boiling like hell."
The two scientists headed over to the temple. Nyx sighed and told the two generals beside her.
"Let's go."
They nodded and followed her towards the temple, trailing Charles and Sterling. They skipped over rocks, careful not to slip over. Finally, they reached the base of the temple, overflowing with water.
'Pretty cool~ the ancients really had good taste.'
Nyx smirked and moved ahead as her clothes were drowned in water. David and Lancelot clicked their tongues and said at the same time.
"Wouldn't it have hurt to bring an umbrella?"
Then, after a moment of hesitation, they stepped onto the floor of the temple. They both hissed as they got wet but went forward nonetheless. Nyx lifted her head, closing an eye as water drops rained down on her. He marveled at the dragon coiling around the temple like a snake. Then, she smiled and head forward where she saw the two scientists halted at the entrance of the door.
"Why did you stop?" Nyx inquired, approaching.
"Because of that." Charles pointed.
She halted and raised a brow. A text written in Latin was inscribed onto the door that led inside the temple. It read;
"Soli qui cognomen meum ferunt transibunt."
Translation: Only those who bear my cognomen shall pass.