I need a HUGE favour from everyone reading this!
My friend and I are trying to write the worst story on wattpad. So far we have reads but no hate. That's where you come in! If you wanna roast some cancerous writing then search "His Lost Princess" by Spermatids. We wanna see your best roasts :)
And for obvious reasons, don't tell anyone that it's a troll story. Just play along and pretend it's all serious.
To my surprise, I woke up to the sun shining on my face. I suppose the extended swim exhausted me enough to sleep through the entire night. I rolled out of the expensive canopy bed and proceeded to ready myself for the day. As I wordlessly changed into my usual attire I took note of the bedroom I was staying at.
Unlike the tiny room I stayed in at Velder, the room provided in Hamel was as big as an average master bedroom. The floor was clothed in a floral, blue carpet which kept my bare feet from getting cold. A single painting of Hamel's glorious ocean life decorated the snow-white wall staring directly at my bed. My backpack was resting against a white dresser, the gold crested mirror above it reflected the sunlight seeping in from my long arch windows—I promptly pulled the golden curtains shut to keep the light from blinding me.
I am glad to see you have gotten a full night's rest. Eun said once it was tightly adjusted in my hair.
"I suppose you could call it a good sleep," I shrugged, retrieving my spear from the couch in my sitting area. My eyes caught the twinkle of the golden chandelier hanging at the core of my room, my stomach twisted as last night's kiss.
"I..uh dreamed about Aren again." I elaborated, desperate to shake my thoughts from Chung.
I would much rather have you dream about pleasant memories than that horrible day.
It doesn't make a difference, either way, I thought. All my childhood memories inflict painful emotions, some more than others.
We should check up on the Priestess as soon as we can. Eun suggested as I proceeded out the large room. I suspect the scarlet-haired demon will be upset that she lost Sasha to us.
"Right," I tightened my fingers around my spear. "Let me ask a guard where the rest of our team is first."
As I mindlessly proceeded down the hall I couldn't help but recall the days I spent with Scarlet. A familiar anger boiled my blood, but I couldn't bring myself to linger on my hate toward her. Perhaps it was due to the lingering fatigue or maybe I've already expended too much energy into hating my former friend.
I wish things hadn't turned out the way they did. Maybe I could've been able to change Scarlet's evil intentions if I spent a little bit more time with her, maybe she would've felt more loved if I had introduced her to my friends. It's hard to believe that someone so similar to me can be so evil.
Ara, Eun drew my attention to a passing guard.
I hastily apologised to Eun and called out to the guard. To my disappointment, he had no knowledge of Sasha's condition nor the location of my team. He was, however, willing to escort me to the dining hall as there's a high possibility that my friends would be there. Seeing how that was the best option to rendezvous with the others, I accepted his offer. Not an another word was exchanged between us afterwards.
When we arrived at our destination I curtly thanked him before entering the dining hall. To my surprise, Raven, Eve and Amos were already seated at the end of the table talking with Horatio—Amos was the only one who was eating breakfast. They spoke in low murmurs that not even I could hear, though their tight expressions indicated the severity of their conversation.
"Hey," I greeted. Their heads perked up as I proceeded to seat with them.
"Morning," Raven and Eve greeted flatly. The duo, despite heading the bed first last night, looked like they haven't got a wink of sleep.
"What's wrong?" I asked, taking a seat opposite of Eve.
Raven sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose," it's Sasha."
"D-did something happen to her last night?"
"She's not dead if that's what you're implying," Horatio reassured with a tight smile. "But I don't think she can be of any use to you guys anymore."
"At least she will not be of use to the demons either," Eve said in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"Aye, but the enemies don't know that fact."
"I-I don't understand," I glanced around the group feverishly. "What's going on?"
"It started when Sasha woke up this morning," Raven began to explain, clasping his hands together on the table. "She was hysteric at first, crying and screaming at her new surroundings. She eventually calmed down but when she was asked what happened under the sea she claimed she couldn't remember."
I sucked in a sharp breath, my mind spinning at the news," s-she doesn't remember a thing?"
"Not when I last saw her. The poor girl was hysteric when we encouraged her to remember," Horatio answered next. "When the Queen arrived to see her she ordered everyone to leave the room. I'm guessin' she's trying to settle Sasha in before attempting to trigger any more memories."
"Did you ask if the El Shard was safe?"
"In Hamel, we call it the Water Jewel, and that was the first question the knights asked her when she was awake. Unfortunately, she doesn't recall where she hid it."
"That's great," I pounded my fist on the table. "I can't believe she has amnesia when we need her the most."
Please do not direct your rage at the Priestess.
'Can you blame me, Eun? We came all this way to look for the El Shard, and now the only person who knows where it is can't remember anything.'
It is not her fault. The only person you should be directing your rage to is Scarlet, or whatever her real name was.
"So what now?" I asked in a calmer tone. "Do we just sit and hope the demons don't find the El Shard without Sasha's help?"
"Firstly, we do not know if the Water Jewel is, in fact, a Shard," Eve reminded me. With a small smile, she added," if the Jewel is not a Shard then we should rejoice that our enemies are wasting their time on a wild goose chase."
"That's if the Jewel isn't a Shard," my answer made her smile drop to a frown.
"Y-yes," Eve bit her lip. "F-for now I suggest we win over the King's trust and resume our training."
Amos' ears perked up at the last bit," can I also train with you guys?" He asked with a toothy grin.
"Only when you have the appropriate weapon to train with," Eve answered before Raven could get a word in. He glared at Eve before turning his gaze on Horatio.
"Have you completed Amos' sword?" He asked the ancient blacksmith.
"Patience, young lad," Horatio chided. "I've already started yesterday night. Give me a couple more days and I promise your kid will be properly equipped to defend himself."
"Ara, did you know Eve and Raven started my training today?" Amos announced proudly, his legs swung wildly back and forth.
"Really?" I was genuinely surprised to hear Raven, of all people, would start training his beloved kid so soon. I thought it'd take several more days of convincing to officially start Amos' training. "What did you guys work on?"
"Well, first they made me run laps around this big empty room to warm up."
I wonder if they trained in the ballroom.
"Then Raven and Eve taught me how to dodge. It was awful! They forced me to keep moving even when I was tired."
I grinned at his comment, it sounded very similar to the complaints I made when I first started training.
"You could always call off the training, kiddo," Raven suggested, earning him a loud slap on the arm from Eve.
"No!" Amos exclaimed in a split second. "I'm gonna show you I can be strong too!"
"I'm just joking, kiddo," Raven chuckled, though it wouldn't surprise me if his previous statement held some truth to it.
We made casual talk with Horatio while waiting for the others to join us. When Chung finally decided to grace us with his presence I felt the same aching in my chest returned. While everyone else greeted him I couldn't bring myself to even look at his general direction. Unfortunately for me, he decided to sit on Raven's side of the table as if to make it harder for me to avoid him. Elsword and Speka joined the table last, once everyone was finally together Horatio requested the maids to bring out breakfast.
Once our plates were empty, we delved into the possible routes we should take next. I suggested we continue our investigations without Sasha's help while Raven thought it'd be best if we took this chance to lay low and research within the castle walls. Eun and I didn't approve of Raven's time-wasting idea, though I could see the appeal to it. Our group has been on the run since we escaped Velder, it'll be much safer and relaxing for us to research without having to glance over our shoulders every minute.
Before we could come to terms on what we should do next the Queen and Sasha entered the room. Sasha was now adorned in a new robe and Daisy herself was dressed in a royal purple gown, her silver hair tied back in a bun. Everyone who was not of royal descent greeted the Queen.
"This is the team that helped save you yesterday," Daisy pressed her hand on Sasha's back and gently pushed her forward. Sasha's cheeks flushed bright red at the attention now drawn to her.
"T-thank you for the help," she said shyly.
With hands tucked away in her sleeves, Sasha wordlessly scanned over our group. To my surprise, a bright smile flashed on her pale face when her gaze landed on Chung.
I'll admit, her response to his presence left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"My Lord, I'm glad to see you are well," she bowed to Chung.
"I'm happy you're feeling better now," Chung answered. I absentmindedly peeked over at Chung as he responded. Guilt washed away my discontent toward Sasha when I saw the bags under his normally bright, blue eyes.
"Your concern for my safety flatters me, My Lord," Sasha replied as she tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Sasha has been quite reluctant to speak with anyone unfamiliar after waking up," Daisy elaborated on Sasha's shy persona toward the rest of us. "She's been overwhelmed with questions." She looked at our group sternly.
Elsword nodded," we understand." The Queen relaxed at his answer.
"Sasha, why don't you sit with them for breakfast?" Daisy gestured waved her hand over our table.
"W-where are you going?" Sasha recoiled back from our group like a spring.
"I must attend to the King--"
"You mean you have to wake him up and help ease his hangover." Chung rudely cut her off.
Daisy shifted her eyes to the floor," y-yes, but that shouldn't give you an excuse to disrespect him." She turned her attention back on Chung, eyes blazing with newfound authority. "Chung, I understand your dislike for my husband but please try to respect him. He's not only the King of Hamel but he's also kind enough to give your team shelter. I'd suggest treating your host kindly."
"He's only letting us stay because you persuaded him into it," Chung murmured, folding his arms. Raven scoffed and rammed his shoulder into Chung's side, earning him an icy glare from the Crown Prince.
"I'll be back shortly with the King to discuss our issue," Daisy said, purposely ignoring Chung's comment. In a softer tone, she added," please, for your friends' sake, don't try to anger your uncle."
Daisy flashed Chung a worried look before heading out of the room, her heels clicking with every step. Sasha sheepishly took a seat on my side of the table, beside Speka. If Chung wasn't squished between Raven and Elsword I had no doubts she'd sit next to him.
He is the only familiar face in the room. If I were her I too would like to sit with someone I know.
'If she knows Chung then she's bound to know Horatio too.' I retorted. It's ironic how I'm so flustered over Chung's relationship with Sasha.
She may not have been as close to Horatio. Please do not base your judgement of Sasha on your jealousy.
I scoffed at Eun's remark and redirected my gaze onto my empty plate. Several minutes passed without a single word being exchanged.
"Sasha, was it?" Eve initiated the first words. Sasha visibly tensed, she swallowed and tentatively bobbed her head.
"How long have you lived in Hamel?"
Sasha didn't reply right away. I curiously poked my head forward to get a better look at her. She didn't seem fearful of the question, instead, she seemed shocked, like she was expecting Eve to interrogate her about her memories.
"I-I lived here all my life," Sasha finally answered, readjusting herself in her seat.
At least she didn't lose all her past memories.
"How did you come to know the royal family? I am assuming you were born as a serf." Eve continued to ask, though not in a demanding tone.
"M-my work requires me to be acquainted with the Royal Family. S-sorry, but I don't want to talk about m-my role in Hamel right now. I-I just..." Sasha paused, eyes now wide with fear.
"I understand, you have recently been through a traumatic experience that you cannot fully grasp. I will not pry." Eve said after several seconds of silence stretched between them.
"You can trust us, though," Chung added. As expected, she didn't freeze in fear when he mentioned her lost memories. "My team wants to help you, but we can't do anything if you don't tell us what you can remember."
"Chung," Elsword shot Chung a stern look. "Don't ask about that."
"I'm not commanding her to tell, man." Chung shrugged, proceeding to trace circles on the dining table. "I'm just letting her know she can turn to us for help."
I didn't realise I was staring at him again until he unexpectedly turned his eyes on me. Warmth flushed my cheeks at our brief eye contact, I blinked and turned my attention to the ceiling.
"I know, My Lord. It's just difficult for me to process what has taken place." Sasha responded, oblivious to the awkward exchange between me and Chung." I-I do remember how I ended up separated from my guards, though."
"If you don't feel uncomfortable, feel free to tell us," Chung persisted. Once again Elsword shot him a nasty look, but this time he didn't chastise Chung for asking.
Several maids entered the room before Sasha could answer. We remained silent as Sasha was given her morning meal while the rest of us surrendered our empty plates to the maids. Shortly after the priestess had her breakfast set up, Horatio bid us farewell, stating he had a lot of work to do that morning.
The silence continued to stretch out once Horatio left, no one knew what else to say to the Priestess. Sasha stared into her breakfast with unwavering interest, her hands tightly clasped underneath the table.
"I...I remember something attacking us underneath the water," Sasha recalled quietly. That was enough to draw the team's undivided attention. "M-my guards fought bravely on my behalf but their strength proved to be futile against my attacker."
"How did you end up with the sea serpents?" Chung asked gently.
"I-I don't know," Sasha pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. "I think they saved me from being abducted by the demons. I don't remember how they knew I was in trouble, though."
"She might've summoned them to her aid," Chung speculated under his breath. In a louder voice, he added," well, thanks for telling us the truth regardless."
"Chung is right, you are very brave to relive those awful memories." Eve piped in.
A soft blush kissed Sasha's cheeks," i-it's not a problem. I-I'm glad I could help."
"You should eat before your food gets cold," Raven suggested next. "I doubt you've eaten anything whilst underwater."
"Y-yes, I'm quite famished," Sasha's stiff posture softened as she delved into her untouched meal. Our team resumed small talk with one another, though we never once touched on the subject of our mission. Sasha, as quiet as she was, seemed content to listen to our pointless ramblings. I suppose she was relaxed to hear something other than Hamel's problems.
King Rod and Queen Daisy (who was now holding two scrolls) entered the room shortly after Sasha finished her meal.
The amount of guards and maids following them inside seemed redundant to me.
The King, though adorned in the finest silk and jewellery, could not shake off the hangover plaguing him. He looked like a man that has barely slept for a week.
"And here I thought last night's events were just a dream," Rod grunted as he collapsed into his seat at the head of the table. He gave Chung a particularly long, disgusted look.
"Now, now, Rod, that's no way to greet our guests," Daisy chided with a playful slap on the arm. "They've come to help us with our water crisis, remember?"
"I told you I have it under control," Rod pounded his fist on the table, the fork and knife on Sasha's plate shuttered at the impact. "They shouldn't even be here, Daisy! They should be rotting in jail."
Chung looked like he was about to say something but Daisy beat him to it," sweetheart, we both know why we shouldn't hand them over to those nasty Velder Knights." Daisy said while caressing his arm.
Rod snorted," don't remind me."
Several maids walked in with a mountainous plate full of fresh steak, fish and vegetables for the King and Queen. How anyone could have such a combination of food for breakfast amazed me.
Us peasants should not try to understand the lifestyle of the royalty, Eun laughed.
"So," Elsword tentatively joined in on the conversation. The Queen gave our leader her full attention while Rod focused on his medium-rare steak. "What's the problem with the water?"
"The problem is that our fresh water supply has been cut off," Daisy answered, placing the scrolls on the table. "It's been out for a couple of days now. We suspect this is the demons' way of forcing us to surrender Hamel."
"Couple of days?" Chung repeated incredulously. He darted his eyes in between the King and Queen as if trying to decide who he should be infuriated with. "What have you been doing to fix it?"
"I initially tried contacting the workers in the Waterways, but not once did I get an answer. That's when the King sent down several troops to investigate."
"What did they find?" Chung eagerly pressed on.
"I..." Daisy bit her lower lip," I don't know." She bowed her head in shame.
Chung blinked," w-what do you mean you don't know?"
"It means those useless knights never returned," Rod spoke with his mouth still full. Chung sucked in a sharp breath at the response.
"Did you send any more troops afterwards?" Eve interrogated next.
"Of course I did!" Rod exclaimed irritably. "They never made it back to tell us anything either."
I may not know how the King truly felt about the loss of his men, but it irked me to see him act like their deaths were their fault.
"That doesn't sound right," Raven murmured to himself. He looked over at Elsword who had the same expression of disbelief on his face.
"How many knights did you send down there?" Elsword inquired.
Rod shrugged," two or three." He resumed eating his steak, seemingly oblivious to the seriousness of the topic.
"Two or three?!" Chung narrowed his eyes on the King. "What on Earth were you thinking?! There's obviously something wrong with the Waterways and you decide to send two or three knights down there to investigate?"
"Don't criticise how I run my kingdom, boy," Rod pointed his greasy finger at Chung. Chung grit his teeth together and took a sharp breath in. "If it weren't for the Priestess playing damsel in distress and the damned demons attacking, I would've sent more knights!"
Sasha visibly winced at the comment directed at her. Speka quietly comforted Sasha while the rest of us sat in utter bemusement. How could someone so irresponsible hold so much power?
"Stop making excuses for your poor decision!" Chung bellowed, hammering both hands on the table. "If my Father was still ruling he'd--"
"Don't you ever mention that man again, Chung!" Rod shot up to his feet, returning Chung's death stare. If Chung was scared of his uncle he didn't show it. Chung kept his gaze fixed on the King's eyes, his shoulders rolled back. "Now apologise before I decide to send you and your pathetic friends in the dungeons," Rod added through closed teeth.
Chung's eyes widened with anger. If his uncle wasn't such an important figure I had no doubt he would've attacked in right then and there. Instead, Chung forcibly exhaled and apologised, turning his eyes away from the King. I heard Daisy faintly sighing of relief.
Satisfied with the win, Rod sat back down on his chair and resumed eating.
"Er...so you need us to investigate the Waterways?" Elsword sheepishly asked the Queen.
"Y-yeah," Daisy snapped out of her daze. "I-if you'd be so kind to fix whatever is stopping fresh water from running through our Kingdom." She once again fixed her worried eyes on Chung. "W-would that be okay with you?"
"It's up to Elsword," Chung muttered. "I'm not the leader of this team."
"I say we help," Elsword said in an instant.
Daisy was practically beaming at his willingness to help," in that case, allow me to give you the map of the Waterways." She clapped her hands, summoning a maid to deliver the scrolls to Elsword.
"We will need to prepare before heading into the Waterways," Eve reminded Elsword as he feverishly scanned over the two maps.
"In that case, you may go through our supply of potions." Daisy offered, though her husband didn't seem too fond of her idea. "Allow me to show you the way."
"Chung and Speka, can you go with her while I stay behind to think of a plan?"
"Whatever you say, boss." Speka stretched as she rose from her seat. Chung wordlessly bobbed his head at the command and got up.
"Great! Just follow me, you two." Daisy led the duo out of the room. I noticed the glance Chung shot me before disappearing with the Queen but I pretended not to care.
"Ooh, I can't wait to go kick some demon butt!" Amos bounced excitedly in his seat.
"You won't be going anywhere near the demons." Raven reminded him sharply. "The most you'll do is staying close to me and avoiding the demons."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I just wanna see you guys beat up more of those shadowy demons." Amos went on excitedly, unwavered by Raven's comments for once.
"A-are you sure it's safe for him to go?" Sasha eyed the young Ponggo with concern. "The demons are quite dangerous. I-I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him down there."
"Don't worry, Sasha," I found it easier to speak up now that Chung wasn't present. "Amos will be protected by everyone here, he'll be more than safe following us."
"B-but wouldn't he be scared by the demons? He is still a child after all."
"The only thing he's scared about is being unable to join our missions," Raven corrected her with a light chuckle. "This kid would probably walk into a lion's den if he had the chance."
Amos stuck his tongue out at Raven," it's not fun when you have to be safe all the time."
Sasha's eyes brightened at Amos," you are such a brave little guy." Amos tilted his head up in pride at the compliment. I had no doubt he'd be gloating to Raven and Eve about it afterwards.
"I...I wish I could have the same courage." She added softly to herself.
"Alright, guys," Elsword held up the first map, the illustration on the page resembled that of a maze. "I have three possible routes we could take..."
Elsword wasted no time to explain his three plans, each plan focused on reaching the Heart of the Waterway which was drawn in the second map. As he delved into detail about the three possible plans Rod snickered in the background, continuing to stuff his face with food.
*****
Daisy ordered Hamel Knights to escort our team safely to our destination, the only catch was that the knights were not allowed to accompany us into the waterways. King Rod didn't want to lose any more men to the demons.
After an hour long boat ride we reached our destination. My team eagerly gathered our belongings and ventured into the wilderness, leaving our escorts behind to wait for our return. Chung, for obvious reasons, took charge of the team. Even without the aid of a map, he successfully guided us through the towering trees and overgrown bushes until we reached the clearing—this is where Elsword finally took the lead.
The waterways looked like a rundown version of Hamel kingdom. Instead of clean, white streets our stone pathways were cracked and coated in moss. Salty water ran through the "roads" like a roaring river. I'm not sure how the sea water could run through the waterway at such speeds, but I suspect it had something to do with the turning gears poking up from the pathways.
"What are those for?" Speka asked Chung, pointing to a gleaming blue gem encrusted atop of one of the draw bridge-like structures.
"It's supposed to help fuel the energy to the Waterway Guardian," Chung's answer made Elsword stop in his tracks.
"The waterway what now?" Elsword repeated, glancing back at Chung with narrowed eyes.
"It's a...beast that's sworn its loyalty to our kingdom." I had a sneaking suspicion Chung was trying his hardest to avoid calling the guardian a demon.
"Great, not only do we have to worry about demons but now we have to worry about this so-called beast," Speka summarised exasperatedly.
"I wouldn't worry too much about that," Chung directed his attention to one of the towering stone structures piercing up from the river, water poured from the top like a fountain. "Most of the structures around here have lost their blue gems, that's a huge threat to the guardian's strength and healing capabilities. Even if we're attacked by the guardian it wouldn't be hard to defeat it."
Elsword's tense muscles relaxed," good. That's one less thing to worry about." He glued his eyes on the map and continued walking.
I absentmindedly took another glance at Chung. While everyone else was relieved to hear of the guardian's depleted strength, Chung looked devastated at the news. He gazed upon the seamless tower with misty eyes, his jawline tight.
To my horror he unexpectedly averted his eyes onto me, his pained expression deepened as if someone had driven a knife through his chest. I bit my lip and turned my back to him, following my team as if nothing had happened.
*****
I was growing weary at the lack of demons bombarding us. You'd think that the Waterways would be infested with enemies, considering they'd manage to shut down the entire facility. Though, after an hour of walking, I had a feeling our peaceful trip was quickly coming to an end.
Elsword had led us straight to what appeared to be a castle built entirely of stone. Each individual brick gave signs of fatigue of the years of exposure to the elements. The door to the building was entirely knocked down, allowing us to peer into the windowless interior. The constant sound of rushing water echoed from within.
"Ara," Elsword addressed me softly. "Can you quickly see if there's anything inside?"
While I didn't like the idea of poking my head in to take a better look of the building I put no effort in to fight back. The last thing I wanted was to make Elsword feel bad for his leadership.
Elsword shifted out of my way as I tentatively poked my head into the entryway, shivers crawled up my spine at the breeze trickling out from the inside. As far as I could tell, the castle itself seemed more like a mansion. Two sets of stairs, one on my left and right, were laid out about 20 feet away from me; I could barely make out the different doorways on the second floor.
Up ahead a glowing cerulean gem lit up a circular platform with two paths branching out to twin mirrors—each one was shattered beyond use. Water poured from the walls and into the illuminating pool surrounding the platform and gem—I wondered if it was a fountain of some sort.
I examined the rest of the room and immediately took notice of the threat lurking within the shadow, I quickly averted my eyes onto the second floor again this time noting the extra details I gleaned over the first time.
I was about to retreat back when something pierced into my shoulder. In an instant, I felt my legs grow weak like I'd just awoken from a year-long coma. Elsword cursed as he caught me before my knees could hit the ground.
"Demons are everywhere," I warned before anyone could get the chance to ask about my well-being. The shadowy shapes shifted at their blown cover.
Raven unsheathed his swords in response to the low growling sounding from inside the mansion. Elsword quickly dragged me back from the entryway before unsheathing his twin swords," do you think you can fight?" He asked hastily.
"Y-yes," I grunted, attempting to use my spear as a support to help myself up. I was just about back on my feet when my left leg caved in.
"Careful," my heart stopped as Chung's arm wrapped around my waist. "You're obviously in no shape to fight."
"I-I'll be fine in a bit," I attempted to squirm out of his grip but he refused to let me go.
Elsword swore," Chung, watch over Ara until she regains enough energy to fight. The rest of us will charge inside to deal with the demons." I was crestfallen to hear his command.
"Got it," Chung said, gently lowering me onto the ground.
"Shall we utilise the power of the El Shard?" Eve asked.
Elsword turned his attention onto Speka who looked like she'd just seen a ghost. He hesitated for a moment before responding," Speka, why don't you let me handle the Shard?"
Speka exhaled loudly through her mouth. She hastily fetched the Shard out of her bag and handed it over to Elsword.
"Amos, stay with Ara and Chung. If you end up coming inside stay as close to the group as possible, don't try to engage with the demons." Raven quietly ordered Amos. The young Ponggo was evidently upset by his command but he made no effort to argue.
"Be careful," I cautioned the team. "Whatever hit me has the power to drain your energy. Be weary of projectiles."
Elsword briefly thanked me for the warning before leading the team in, he used the illumination of the Shard to brighten up the interior.
"Are you feeling okay, Ara?" Amos joined my side once the others had fully engaged themselves in the battle.
"Yeah," I lied, massaging my limp legs. "I just need a few minutes to recollect myself."
"You should've been more careful," Chung chided, kneeling down beside me. I instinctively turned my eyes the other way.
"It was an unexpected attack," I muttered, my cheeks burning up like a stove top.
"You could've been seriously hurt," he continued to press on. "Would it kill you to be a little bit more alert to your surroundings?" He added softly. I nearly bit down on my tongue when he gently placed his hand on my shoulder.
"S-sorry," I stammered, shrugging his hand off. My reaction to his touch made Amos raise his brows with surprise, though I could careless of what the kid thought of us.
"Ara," Chung was starting to sound annoyed. "Can we talk about...you know?"
Seriously? You're going to ask that while we're with Amos—I wanted to scream at him. It'll only make things worse when he tells Raven and Eve about this.
The blush on my cheeks deepened at the prospect of the others learning about our little incident last night. I cleared my throat and locked eyes at the battle raging ahead," we should focus on the mission," I suggested tightly.
"Ara, we shouldn't--"
"Amos, doesn't it look like the others are winning?" I cut him off, hoping my interruption will remind him of the extra company we had with us.
"Er," Amos was evidently puzzled at the sudden question directed at him. "I-I think so? It's kinda hard to see what's happening." He perked his head up to get a better view of the fight.
Chung sighed in frustration," you can't avoid this forever." He breathed into my ear. I shivered at his close proximity. It reminded of the warmth I felt while in his arms, the way my skin sparked at his touch. Even now my heart was racing at the memory, of his lips on mine—
Ara, if you continue to obsess over this subject, then soon, I too shall want a kiss from Chung.
"S-shut up," I snapped at Eun out loud. Chung and Amos (for obvious reasons) jumped at my outburst.
"Ara, what's wrong?" Amos asked with worried eyes.
"N-nothing," I sheepishly bow my head, I had no doubts my face was as bright as a Christmas tree at this point. "I-I think I've recovered most of my energy back."
Without thinking I propped myself up on my feet, though I found it slightly difficult to balance at first I was, fortunately, able to stay up without help.
"Are you sure?" Chung shot up to his feet next. "Don't overexert yourself, that'll be worse than--"
"I'm fine," I snapped a bit too aggressively. With tensed shoulders I positioned my spear for battle," w-we should help the others. Amos, be sure to stay close to the group and promise not to wander off by yourself."
"Okay," Amos answered wearily, now eyeing both me and Chung suspiciously.
"I'll lead us inside," Chung stepped in front of me before I had the chance to object. With a battle-cry he charged inside, knocking demons out of his way with the help of his cannon. I grabbed Amos' hand and hastily pulled him along.
Once we were safely reunited with the team, I called on Eun's power and proceeded to fight. The fight itself was fairly easy, especially when Elsword was generous enough to bless each of us with the Shard's power. What made the fight difficult was the sheer number of enemies that kept coming our way, even Amos (who was merely throwing orbs at approaching demons) was quickly growing tired at the ordeal. It didn't help that all the demons infesting the building blended in with the shadows.
"We're going to run out of steam if more demons continue to attack us," Chung cautioned Elsword at some point in the battle.
"I would wipe the floor with the Shard, but I can't risk bringing the building down along the way," Elsword gasped in between breaths.
"Chung has a point, it will be dangerous to continue this battle on our own!" Eve shouted from somewhere in the battlegrounds.
"Then what do you suppose we do?! It's not like we have any extra allies to all upon for help!"
"I have a plan!" Chung proposed with a heart beat. "Remember how I said there was a guardian protecting the Waterways?"
"If you're proposing we call that thing for help then you're out of your mind," Elsword snapped as he brought his swords down onto a bulky demon's head. With a grunt, he pulled his blades out and moved on to the next enemy.
"The guardian is loyal to my family. All I need to do is go to its altar and ask for its aid."
"There's still a possibility it could attack us!" Elsword reminded him sharply. "It's difficult to say who's still our allies at times like these!"
"The guardian is the best chance we have at defeating all the demons! We either use its power to help finish this fight quickly or we exhaust ourselves out!"
I took my eyes off my enemies for a brief second to glance back at the guys. Both of them were preoccupied with hostile demons, though they each looked equally as irritated. I averted my attention just in time to parry a bigger demon's advancements.
"Fine," Elsword complied with a frown. I could already picture Chung smirking at his victory. "But if anything happens I'll need to use the Shard to deliver us to safety before collapsing the entire building."
"I'll take full responsibility for the aftermath," Chung compromised.
Satisfied with Chung's answer, Elsword ordered Raven to accompany Chung to the altar. I was more than happy to hear I wasn't the one chosen to go with him. Our group scrunched closer together as the two guys split from the team. With two members gone I found my attacks growing faster.
I twisted from left to right, parrying and slashing at foes from all directions. I inevitably sustained some injuries during the fight, but that wasn't enough to prevent me from standing on my feet. As I fought I'd take occasional glances at the altar ahead. Each time I looked back I'd witness Raven fending off the demons alone while Chung was knelt on the circular platform, seemingly praying to the guardian.
"Aah!" Amos' scream made my world come crashing down on my shoulders.
I mindlessly turned my eyes away from my enemies and glanced down at the Ponggo squished between Eve and I. An inky arrow had somehow found its way into Amos' thigh. When he attempted to pull the projectile out it disintegrated into black smoke.
That may be the same arrow that caught us!
I opened my mouth to warn the others but a demon pounced onto me before I got the chance to speak. Eun howled with rage as the demon's teeth sunk into my shoulder. With a snap of a finger, Eun was in control. It punched our attacker square in the eye thus loosening its grip on us. Eun took that opportunity to shake it off before ending its life by driving our blade into its head.
"Amos!" Eun turned back at the Ponggo with concern. We both felt our anxiety tighten as we saw Eve embracing a frightened Amos, her back purposely exposed to the enemies behind her. Ophelia and Oberon fought desperately to protect their Queen but not even their combined efforts could ward off all the demons terrorising Eve.
Eve pulled Amos tightly into her chest as a stray demon launched onto her back, its claws sinking into her body.
"Shh, it is going to be okay," she whispered into Amos' ears. "I am here to protect you."
Eun and I both had the same idea to pounce at the demon attacking her, but we were forced to turn our eyes away from the duo as the demons on our side were beginning to pile onto us.
"This battle is quickly becoming irksome!" Eun snarled, staggering back at the additional weight on our body. Luckily, our legs never gave out. Eun thrashed and clawed at the demons, cursing every time a demon sunk its claws or fangs into our flesh.
The battle halted as quickly as it had started. Everyone in the room froze at the thundering roar emanating through the battlegrounds. Eun wasted no time to use the abrupt distraction to shake the remaining demons off, quickly ending their lives with a swipe of our spear. We turned our attention back on Eve, who was thankfully saved freed from the demon by Oberon.
The ground trembled as yet another mighty roar filled our ears. Curious, we looked back to witness a 10 feet monster clad in gold standing directly in front of the altar Chung and Raven were at. The beast resembled a white wolf, its gold armour covered its belly, head and parts of its legs. A scarlet blade protruded out from its chest piece.
The creature scanned the battlefield with pupiless purple eyes. Its dagger-like teeth poked out from the sides of its mouth.
Chung barked something at the beast, within seconds the monster was pouncing on enemy demons. Wasting little to no time to slaughter all that was in its path. With new found confidence Eun turned back to the enemy demons preparing to attack us.
'I think we might have a chance of winning.' I told Eun excitedly.
I agree, Child. Allow us to finish this tedious task once and for all.