Chronicles of Legends

Volume 4 Chapter 9 - Future

[A/N: Last chapter for today. We already passed the goal of surpassing the vote count of the previous ff, so the new goal is to reach 550 votes by the time this volume ends.]

|Arthur|

Rinia's hut, though small and cramped, had an undeniable warmth to it that put me at ease. The soft glow of dim orbs hanging from the ceiling and walls provided just enough light for me to see the faint smile on Rinia's face as we entered.

I couldn't help but release a sigh of relief as Tessia squatted down to release her tension. The location of our hideout remained a mystery, but at this point, I didn't care. All that mattered was that we were safe, for now.

"Where are we?" I asked, taking in our surroundings.

"Somewhere in the elf kingdom," Rinia replied cryptically as she disappeared inside her hut.

The place was not unlike a dungeon where criminals would be held, but it was also not the first time I had seen an abode such as this. Rinia was an old friend of the royal family and had her reasons for living in such a place.

Merial furrowed her brow. "I'm sure you have your reasons, Aunt Rinia, but was it really necessary to shut yourself in a place like this?"

"Just an old lady being overly cautious. Don't mind me!" Rinia reassured us, peeking out from behind her sheet door. "It's actually quite cozy once you get used to it."

Tessia couldn't resist the temptation and asked to see inside the hut. Rinia welcomed us all in, and despite our initial hesitation, we followed her inside.

Virion shooed us in and proclaimed, "Come now, the place isn't going to eat you up. It's quite roomy inside, despite its appearance. Let's get something to drink! I'm quite famished."

As we settled into the sparsely furnished space, I felt myself drifting off. I leaned back into the couch, my head heavy on my hand. When I awoke, everyone else was fast asleep, their soft breathing filling the cozy hut.

I rubbed my eyes and rose to find only Rinia and Alistair still awake, with Rinia sipping on a fragrant herbal tonic.

"They won't be up for a while, Arthur, Alistair. Let's talk," Rinia said, gesturing for me to take a seat opposite her as she continued to sip her tea.

"Is this something only I should know, since you've probably drugged everyone except me?" I narrowed my eyes, though I trusted Rinia. Besides, if she wanted to kill us, her powers of foresight would have made it easy for her.

I sat down, leaned back, and waited for the ancient elf to speak.

"Despite the unforeseen circumstances, you're quite composed, Arthur, Alistair." Rinia's tone implied that she expected no less.

"I'm sure that if you wanted the worst to happen, it would have happened by now," I shrugged.

"Mm."

"..."

"A logical assumption," nodded Rinia. "Now, where do I begin?" she sighed. "Well, let's begin with a small lesson on my powers as a Diviner."

My ears perked up at this. I knew that this power came from aether, but I was still interested in how they managed to do so.

Noticing the interest on my face, Rinia continued. "As you may know, unlike regular mages who draw forth power from the mana particles in the atmosphere, deviants have to find their own source of power to fuel their magic."

I nodded in agreement.

"For example, your mother, an Emitter, has the ability to heal herself and others in a way elemental recovery spells can't compare to."