Cindy's gaze roamed the clearing for somewhere to settle until it landed on a suitable spot - the fallen branch at the edge of the clearing. She ambled over with relaxed steps and settled onto the weathered wood. "I've been tracking your group since you entered the forest," she said. "The commotion with those White dogs was loud enough to announce your presence to the entire forest - just kidding, but it wasn't exactly stealthy though. I kept close, followed your group all the way here, though not close enough to be noticed. When you guys halted in this clearing, I figured you'd be settling in for the night, so I decided to pitch my tent nearby and continue following the next day. As I didn't want to rush in the morning, incase you guys got up early, I headed to the stream to get cleaned up beforehand. There we met and... here we are."
Oliver shook his head. His brows knitted slightly, as if trying to understand the enigma sitting on the fallen branch, and yet he couldn't help but look at her in wonder. "Incredible. Truly, I can't believe you've been tailing us all day. How is it that we missed your presence entirely, not even a wisp of your aura? You must've used a potion, surely." He sat down next to her on the branch.
"Nope, nothing like that. But to be fair, all day long you guys were either stirring up magic beasts or arguing with each other; that's a lot to keep up with. Plus, like I said, I kept a low profile - wasn't exactly broadcasting my presence like you guys were."
Oliver breathed a laugh. "Broadcasting might be a bit of an exaggeration, but fair point," he said. His smile was tender as he reached out sideways and slowly took her hand, his fingers wrapping around hers in a soft squeeze. His voice softened, and he said, "I'm glad you came out to the stream tonight; gave me a chance to meet you and get know you." His eyes crinkled at the corners as he watched her affectionately.
Cindy held his gaze. Her eyes flicked to his lips, before she whispered invitingly, "The feeling's definitely mutual."
Then, a scene that would've likely made Robert throw up, had he witnessed it, unfolded.
Oliver grinned at Cindy, and she grinned back, their smiles mirroring each other. Their eyes locked; Oliver's grey gazing into her dark brown, which gazed back with equal intensity, and for a moment, they were lost in the connection. The world melted away as their faces drifted closer and closer, until their lips were only a whisper apart. However, just before their lips touched, they both snapped back to reality, and they jerked back, quickly looking away with sheepish smiles, their faces flushed. The silence that followed was filled with their attention straying to the building, where Zack and Robert's moving silhouettes were visible through the ice bricks.
And it was only then that the realization hit Oliver like a slap in the face - if Cindy had indeed been tailing them ever since their fight with the Borrowing White wild dogs, then she must have witnessed him and Robert transform into elementals! He felt a surge of panic, but he composed himself quickly, thinking on his feet. With a subtle, calculated smirk, he asked, "So, what do you think of that uhh... magic tool that enabled Robert and I to transform into elementals?"
Cindy burst out with sudden enthusiasm, "Oh, man, I totally remember that! It was epic! I was so... shocked; I mean, that was top-tier, God-level wizardry right there. A magic tool like that should be locked up in the Magic Council's most secure vault or something cus... that's a lot of power! Seeing you and your friend transform into those giant Ice and Earth elementals to fight off those dogs? Mind-blowing! What kind of magic tool is that anyway? Can you show it to me?"
Oliver felt dazed for a moment. "Uhh... I don't think I can. I made a promise not to show it to anyone. That promise is the only reason my father let me borrow it in the first place. And I'll have to admit, I know he's gonna figure out if I did show it to someone - he always seem to know these things. Don't get me wrong, I would really love to show it to you but, getting on dad's bad side is too heavy a sacrifice; it's just not worth the trouble," Nothing about the way Oliver said all this revealed his heart skipped two beats or that his mind had to work overtime to generate that response. He appeared so composed.
"Oh, I totally understand," Cindy said, adding a charming smile for reassurance. "Your dad's probably watching us with a wizard eye right now." She whispered dramatically, jokingly, and they both shared a good laugh.
"Seriously, he could be."
And they laughed again.
"Well, at least you can tell me what the price tag was on the magic tool, right? How did you score it?"
Oliver's mind had already worked up the perfect lie. "Well, I was told it cost my family a small fortune; ten million gold coins, to be exact." He said smoothly. "My great-grandfather snagged it at an auction way back when, and it's been a family heirloom ever since. My grandfather got it after great-grandpoppy died, and my father inherited it after grandpop died, and now it's mine - or rather, dad let me borrow it, but it's basically mine anyway." He felt a wave of relief wash over him as Cindy seemed to be buying into his fabrication. He added decisively, "I guess being an only child has its perks; I'm the lucky one who gets to inherit it all."
"Lucky indeed. My dad would never let anyone borrow something like that. He's so... how would I put it... cost-conscious. He practically wouldn't let anything that expensive out of his sight if he could carry it around. Ten million is not a meager amount."
"Meh... it's nothing."
"Oh really?" Cindy regarded him amusedly, nudging his arm playfully. "You call ten million gold coins nothing? Maybe I can relate. I'm from the Solver family in Pichar. We're kinda wealthy. You might've heard of us; we launched a charity for aspiring wizards who can't afford magic schools, and it got us some attention last year. Anyway, my father intended on purchasing a young magic beast for me, but I insisted on capturing one myself. I used the whole 'help me form a stronger bond with the beast if I caught it myself' talk to convince him. He let me go but he also gave me a high-quality teleportation scroll as a precaution, in case I encountered any danger. With this," She took out a teleportation scroll from her leather bag. The object was shimmering with golden and silver magic particles, "I can instantly teleport back home if needed. It's worth twenty thousand gold coins."
"Twenty thousand for one teleportation scroll?!" Oliver was genuinely shocked. That was money he'd never seen since he was born!
"Meh... It's nothing," came Cindy's nonchalant downplay, winking at him, and Oliver couldn't help but laugh... My own words back at me, huh? At the same time he secretly felt relived Cindy had not asked about Robert's own 'magic tool'. What was he going to tell her?!
"Well, I'd consider myself my father's favorite if I were you," he said, and she giggled in agreement.
"So, what kept you from joining us earlier during the day? We could've used the extra help taking down those beasts, and you could've used the exP," said Oliver, idly picking up a twig, snapping it, and tossing it aside.
Cindy hesitated. "Can I be honest with you?"
"Of course, please do."
Cindy took a deep breath and continued. "Frankly, the way you three were bickering made you seem like a bunch of hotheads. I was afraid if I showed myself, you three might do something you know... stupid to me."
"Something stupid? What do you mean?"
Cindy grinned wryly. "Think about this, a bunch of teenage boys stumbling upon a lone teenage girl in the middle of nowhere... not exactly a great situation. Let's just say I've seen enough crime shows to guess how that's gonna end."
Oliver began to laugh. Oh, he laughed.
"It's not funny."
"I know, I know, my bad. But we wouldn't have done anything to you, I swear."
Cindy's eyebrow arched skeptically, and her gaze narrowed. "I might believe that now. But are you entirely certain?"
Oliver grin faltered. "Umm, okay, maybe Zack might've... he's got some issues... but Robert and I? No way. We're gents."
"This Zack person... Is it strange that I really want to meet him?" Cindy said, and before Oliver could respond, fate apparently granted her request. Zack himself coincidentally rushed out of the building through the hole just then, with Robert hot on his heels. He skidded to a stop about 6 feet away from the duo sitting on the fallen branch, his mouth hanging open as he stared at Cindy. "Oh my gosh, it's really true! They actually brought a girl back with them! This night just keeps getting better!" He thought. Visibly, he was breathing heavily with excitement and staring at Cindy like she was an enormous pile of ice-cream.
"That's Zack," Oliver's voice was loathing and contemptuous as he protectively placed his arm around Cindy's neck, a gesture he hoped would signal to Zack that she was off-limits and deter him from getting any closer. But Zack didn't seem to catch the hint.
"Hi, can I get your number? You look absolutely amazing..."
Oliver cut him off, his patience worn thin. "Robert!" he called with a firm voice.
"On it!" Robert responded immediately, swiftly gathering his magic energy and conjuring an earthen fist that scooped Zack off the ground. Robert turned and walked back into the building, and the earthen hand followed with Zack in its grip. All the way back in, Zack's unnervingly intense stare never wavered from Cindy, making her feel a pang of discomfort. After they retreated from view, Oliver and Cindy exchanged a look.
"I told you, he's got issues."
Meanwhile, inside the building.
"You! Haven't I told you to quit pestering Oliver?" Robert chided, stalking past the grill and stopping in the middle of the room. The earthen fist dumped Zack unceremoniously on the ground, before dissipating as Robert flicked his wrist.
"I wasn't pestering him, I was only trying to ask her out," Zack protested, sitting up.
Robert's face scrunched up in utter incredulity. His eyes blazed with frustration as he squatted down to Zack's level. "Ask her out? Can you hear yourself? Ask her out? You can't be serious! Oliver had his arm around her neck, his ARM around her NECK!" Robert's hands demonstrated exasperatedly. "Didn't that tell you something?"
"Tell me what? That Oliver's got a thing for giving shoulder rubs?" Zack replied nonchalantly, only to be interrupted by a glob of mud suddenly splattering on his face.
"It means they're together, you clueless wonder!" Robert snarled, conjuring another handful of mud and smearing it into Zack's face.
Zack was silent for a beat as mud droplets from his face dripped onto his shirt, he then opened his eyes, letting out a resigned sigh. "You know, there are a million better ways to make a point than dumping mud all over someone's face!"
"The mud was a second thought. I originally intended to smash a rock on your head, that would've really made my words sink deeper!"
Zack retorted with a playful growl (which Robert found ridiculously adorable) before standing up. He flicked bits of mud off his brown shirt and tried to dust off the stains. He made to say something, most likely a witty retort judging by the look in his eyes, but he bit his tongue. Then, breaking into a jaunty hum, Zack turned and headed out of the building with good-natured strides, clearly bound for some water source to clean up his face. Robert watched him go and shook his head in exasperation - whoever raised this guy?!
Some seconds before Zack walked out of the building, Cindy excused herself from Oliver to find a spot in the shrubs nearby to relieve herself. "Be right back," she said, before tousling Oliver's hair endearingly, rising from the branch, and walking a short distance behind the building, surreptitiously checking to make sure she wasn't being followed. Camouflaged by the night's gloom, Cindy sought a secluded spot, her footsteps quiet on the carpet of leaves on the forest floor. She halted close to a tree, and before crouching behind it, she carefully surveyed her surroundings, her eyes darting around to ensure she truly was alone. Satisfied, she pulled out a miniature phone and hastily dialed a number. Calmly, she waited for the person at the other end to pick up...
Zack, seconds later, walked out of the building and headed to the back. He searched around the clearing behind the building for a puddle he could have sworn he'd spotted earlier, but it was nowhere to be seen. His cheerful humming faded away as he scanned the vicinity, aided by the light that filtered through the ice bricks from inside the building, but all he saw were decayed leaves and brown soil, and beyond that were trees and thick shrubs wrapped in inky darkness.
Zack groaned. "Urgh, this is ridiculous - I'm in the middle of a rainforest and can't even find a decent patch of water. This hideous structure must be sitting right above that sweet little puddle!" That instant, his eyes landed on the stream gurgling in the distance. "Nope, not walking all the way over there just to wash some mud off my face." He mumbled, but then, an idea struck and he snapped his fingers. "Oliver!" He exclaimed. "He's got ice. Melt it, and I've got water. I'll just ask him; no hassle." No hassle? Even the universe seemed to mock him with a silent chuckle. Zack himself could already foresee the outcome, and it definitely wasn't promising. He glanced back at the stream - walking all the way might be the more straightforward option after all!
Just as Zack was still contemplating, the low, rhythmic ringback sound of a phone dialing a number broke into his thoughts, grabbing his attention. Figuring it was probably Robert inside trying to call his girlfriend or whoever, Zack quickly retrieved the magic sound amplifier from his space ring and turned it on. He held the device near his ear to eavesdrop on the conversation - a little payback to Robert for the mud bathe. However, what he overheard left him utterly perplexed.
A crisp voice came from the other end of the line, "Is it done?" it asked, and a female voice responded, "Yes, High luminary Fierau. One's already smitten with me, and the other two are very friendly."
Zack's brows knitted in confusion; the heck?
The voice from the phone said, "Excellent. Now find out whether this is a scheme concocted by that foolish Magistar of the Magic Council to bait us out into the open. If not, follow them eastward. We'll meet you at the Sonic owl territory."
The female voice responded with a simple "Understood, sir," before the call terminated.
Zack was left staring blankly at the object in his hand in bewilderment. What in the name of millepedes had he just heard?
He forced composure upon himself, eyeing the magic sound amplifier in his hand with a confused, probing stare and wondering if a node in it had blown up or something. The conversation he'd just overheard made no sense to him, and the voices were unrecognizable - neither sounded anything like Robert. Two possibilities crossed his mind: either there was another person in the forest within a mile (his amplifier's maximum listening range) searching for some Magic Council Magistar and heading eastward, or his amplifier had simply gone haywire and replayed already saved recordings in a jumble but coherent way.
Zack felt certain of the former when he spotted the blinking green button on the device's side; the record button. That was a clear indication that the amplifier was actively recording and hadn't been playing back, which also meant that the odd phone call was on record! He replayed the conversation, straining to understand it, but it made no sense. 'Luminary,' 'One smitten and two friendly,' 'Magic Council Magistar,' 'Sonic owls'? - What kind of persons were making that call? A secret society? Private adventurers? Or maybe just poachers?
Zack eventually exhausted his efforts to understand, thinking, "Maybe Robert could make sense of it." If Robert couldn't, Zack considered seeking the help of the "mysterious, sweet, pretty, alluring, and charming girl" that they'd brought back.
Inside the building, Robert was busy grilling fish, having already prepped five fillets, and eight more still sizzling away on the grill. Feeling rather relieved from watching Oliver act very differently and deciding to push it to the back of his mind with a 'people are unpredictable' thought, Robert considered whistling a tune - the one Zack had hummed on his way out; a popular children's rhyme about the sun and fourteen known planets - but recalled he had no idea how to whistle.
Shrugging facially, he crouched down to stir the embers, but noticed a stool beside the grill where a plate of delicious-looking bird meat rested, likely leftovers from Zack's meal, infused with 'a hint of magic deliciousness.' Robert glanced outside, and he could see Oliver through the ice bricks still sitting on the fallen branch, seemingly waiting for Cyntara who, at that moment, emerged from the undergrowth behind Oliver and rejoined him on the branch, apparently saying something that made Oliver laugh loudly (urgh, weird). While Zack, Robert thought, was most likely washing mud off his face somewhere wherever. Robert's eyes flashed back to the meat on the stool. They were too tempting to ignore and Robert had no intention to resist. He reached out, grabbing a handful of bird meat and stuffed his mouth.
It was absolutely wonderful! The taste was one-of-a-kind. It was as if the meat had been slow-cooked in a richly spiced and seasoned broth for an entire year! And there was also this unexplainable, subtly delicious taste in the background that flooded every corner of his mouth. In short, the meat was a culinary gem that transcended its description. A hint of magical deliciousness? More like a dash of it! Robert thought he really got to get some of those leaves from the... what had Zack called it? Multi-flavoured fairy tree? Would really make mum's fish weets way more tasty!
Just as Robert was savoring the meat, he heard approaching footsteps. Thinking it was Zack, Robert hastily swallowed the meat in his mouth, not wanting to face a potential outburst. However, to his dismay, Oliver walked in, asking for some fish for himself and Cindy. Robert handed over the five fillets he had just grilled, attempting to appear nonchalant despite his obvious displeasure.
Oliver did not miss the subtle reluctance in Robert's demeanor and, to his own surprise, he felt a sudden flicker of self-reproach within himself. It was a feeling he hardly experienced, making it feel particularly odd. Nevertheless, it dawned on him that since meeting Cindy, his priorities had shifted, and he had left Robert to handle everything, from carrying the fish back to their makeshift abode to keeping Zack at bay, and even preparing dinner. Strangely, this realization stung.
"Robert, look I'm really sorry for leaving you to do all the heavy lifting while I've been uh... preoccupied with Cindy." Oliver said, genuinely remorseful (Urgh, more weird). "I'll make it up to you."
"Don't sweat it, just enjoy yourself," Robert said with a wave of his hand. He couldn't endure it, the sight of an apologetic Oliver was just too bizarre!
Oliver nodded his thanks and turned to leave. Just as he did, Zack burst in, his face still caked with mud. Seeing Oliver, Zack impulsively opened his mouth to ask for some ice, but Oliver's disgusted glance silenced him as he walked past without a word. Zack watched him go with a blend of sadness and amusement, his eyes following until Oliver rejoined Cindy on the branch.
"If you're looking to patch things up, I suggest you don't start with 'I'm sorry'." Robert said, reading Zack's face. "It's too late for that now."
Zack nodded in agreement, "You're right, I've pushed him too far."
"Seriously, consider yourself lucky if he ever acknowledges your presence."
Zack shrugged, "An apology is the best I can do. He's not expecting me to kiss his shoes, right? Cus if he doesn't accept apology, I'll just have to be so super annoying that he'll literally beg for it!"
Robert shook his head in exasperation. Zack then walked over to him, holding out his magic sound amplifier as he wiped off some mud from his face with his blue handkerchief. "Hey, you gotta listen to this."
"Is there a problem?"
"Just listen." And with that, Zack played the recording of the mystifying phone call, which Robert listened to intently.
As the recording concluded, Robert's eyes were wide, with shock or realization? Even he couldn't tell. Unlike like Zack, only one word from the conversation had left him stunned: 'High Luminary.'
Zack noticed Robert's stunned expression and asked, "What's wrong? You got anything?"
Robert's face remained frozen in shock, and a tinge of fright danced in his eyes.
"Robert, do you have any idea what that conversation was about?"
Robert's mind was racing, still trying to recall where he had heard that term "High Luminary."