"Now how can we go to Aveyond with all these snow all over the place? It's as thick as yak's fur," mused Rhen as they headed out the entrance of the town.
"Wait a second, when did you became leader of this team?" snorted Lars.
"Since I got the prophecy. As the Exalted One, I'm the rightful one to lead the team,"
"Hmph! If you were coming as a slave, I shouldn't have ended up accompanying with you in the first place," Lars grunted.
"Then why did you offered to accompany me in the palace of Veldarah?"
"Because I said that I wouldn't let all this work and glory to be done by a slave, Peta!"
"Now cut it out you two! We shouldn't quarrel over this little kiddy problem. The evil is drawing near, and we should have save the druids and escort them to the Sun Temple in Aveyond," spoke Talia calmly. "Save your energy, keep warm."
"Sorry, Talia. C'mon guys, lets move on," Rhen apologised, taking the lead.
"Yeah sorry, Talia," mumbled Lars. "I'll not let this slave Apprentice take all the glory."
"Huh, what did you say?" asked Rhen, glaring at him.
"Nothing. Simply nothing," said Lars with his innocent look.
"Maybe the man sitting on the mule cart can help us," suggested Talia as she pointed to a mule cart not far from them.
So their journey continued on a mule express that is heading to Sun Temple for handsome price.
~~~
It was spring in the Western Empire. Armaiti, who was also known as the druid of agriculture, was enjoying the beauty of nature in Highland. Out of a sudden, a cracky, raspy voice interrupted his thought, and he hate that when someone did that.
"Ah, Guardian of Agriculture. At last, I've found thou."
Before he had time to answer, Armaiti found that he couldn't move a single bone as if he was petrified.
In the end, a skeleton warrior with a broken gladius at one hand and an old scrap matal shield at the other, walked away with a sinister grin on its face, leaving the statue of the druid with a frown on his face.
~~~
"Wow! What a magnificent artwork!" Rhen gasped, enthralled by the Sun Temple.
"It has been built for a hundred years," added Talia. "And I've never been here since I become a guardian."
Lars standing beside the girls, kicking dirt on the grass, leaving them admiring the grandeur of the temple.
An old woman was standing by the entrance as they headed into the temple. Rhen saw the familiar fabric robe that the elderly woman wore just when she was at the Veldarah Castle.
"It's the Oracle!" gasped Rhen.
"You have come," spoke the Oracle with a melodious tone, welcoming them with an elderly smile on her face. Then she laid her eyes at Talia.
"Dreamer Talia, how was your journey?"
"Uneventful, thank the gods," sighed Talia
"What's the quest again?" asked Lars suddenly, though he knew the answer.
"You must bring all the druids here. When all of the druids have been brought here, the door to a room of great importance will open," said the oracle as she pointed to a sealed door behind them.
"What's behind this door?" asked Lars.
"An artifact of great importance. The Sword of Shadows."
"What's with the doors at the basement?" asked Rhen as she noticed there were six locked doors in the basement in the temple.
"Items of great power lie beyond the doors beneath this temple... items guarded by the druids until now. Until you."
"Where's sun priest?" asked Talia abruptly as she noticed that only four of them in the temple.
"The sun priest will be back soon," replied the Oracle, hiding her worry with a smile.
"Okay. Now Talia's here. We should proceed our quest now," spoke Rhen as she was getting bored staying in the temple.
"Oracle, I would like to stay with the children a while longer," spoke Talia calmly.
"Are you not staying behind?" asked the elderly woman while raising her eyebrows.
"No, Oracle. I think the children may need my advice for a while. I'll be back soon."
"I shall be as your wish, Dreamer."
"Come, children. Let's go," spoke Talia as she motioned Rhen and Lars out of the temple.
~~~
After having a talk with the Oracle, the trio decided to take a break in a town nearby.
"No wonder the town-folks named here Teacup Towns. Look at the Teacups here!" commented Lars as they looked at the teacup-shape buildings all over the place. "And the cats live here. This is ridiculous!"
"Help! Help!" a squeaky voice echoed in a distance.
"Let's check what we can help," without a second thought, Rhen and the others went to the source of the voice.
"Is there anything that we can help?" asked Talia calmly. Rhen and Lars exchanged glances.
A talking kitten asking for help?, thought Lars.
Shut up, Lars! Rhen shot him an angry look after she got his message.
"My brother, Morsel's voice box was stolen by a wicked harpy. Now he can't talk," meowed the bini whose name was Tidbit.
"Do you know where this harpy is?" asked Rhen urgently, excited to have a battle.
"She ran off north to the west of the village," answered Tidbit as he pointed his paw to a small hill behind the town.
~~~
The harpy was flying around with her new-found music box. She sang happily along with the music. Just then, something tied around the box and a force pulled it. But she tugged it firmly in the nick of time. She looked around and noticed some annoying human beings interrupting her happy moment.
"You there, harpy! Are you responsible for the theft of a young bini's voice box?" shouted one of them with the purple hair. She was holding a sword and swinging around in the air like a crazy chicken. Behind the girl was a green-haired guy who was holding a black-oak staff and a weird book on each of his hand. And a priestess who was standing between them, murmuring while controlling the magic rope to pull harder. But it wont budge as the harpy took a hard grasp at her precious box.
"And if I am? What are you going to do about it?" she taunted at the trio.
In the just instant, the purple-haired girl running towards her and started murmuring something. She jumped on the air and waving her sword at her.
"Firefly Ballad!" yelled the girl as she was waving the sword ferociously and quickly around, making her unable to deflect her attack. The harpy fell on the floor and noticed that her wings were broken.
"How dare you! How dare you hurt my wings! Now you're gonna pay for that!" roared the injured harpy, filled with pure anger. She rushed and bare her sharp-and-pointy claws at the girl but she stopped suddenly in the midway as if she had been frozen. She looked around and saw the green-haired guy casted a spell.
"What's the rush?" teased the mage. "Let me chill you down," he murmured and a pale-blue mist formed and swirled around him. The surroundings went absolute zero abruptly, and the harpy felt her heart was frozen.
"Aiz Sickle!" a bolt of ice conjured from his hand and hit the harpy. The harpy wailed and landed her knees on the floor.
"Argh! Take the confounded voice box and leave me alone!" squarked the badly-injured harpy, who threw the box at them and walked away briskly.
~~~
The bini opened his mouth but nothing came out. He appeared to have lost his voice. Rhen gave the bini his voice box.
"My voice box! How can I thank you?" spoke Morsel the bini gratefully.
"It was nothing," replied Rhen who was feeling happy for helping him. The happy bini sang and hopped around.
"Thank you for getting my brother's voice box back from the harpy," spoke Tidbit. "I wonder if you should let her keep it. My brother won't stop singing," added the bini, who was getting annoyed by his brother's singing.