Evgenia kept looking at the note, rereading it over and over.
She couldn't believe it. No spell had to be made to open the book this whole time.
And they found an answer. Not the answer they were looking for exactly. Her parents were practically making them go on a wild goose chase.
There really is a way to destroy the Moonstone. But the answer lies on Rune Island, home of the elves. Elves... they hate humans. They've been isolated far longer than Icier has been. There's a magical border closing off their land from others.
Evgenia frowned at the writing, the word ingrained forever in her head.
Rune Island is near Arcadia's bays. It was still a distance away from the kingdom but nothing the crew can't handle.
However... there seemed to be a problem.
The crew was split.
No one wanted to say it, but they all knew that not all of them were going to Rune Island.
Evgenia looked up at where Adva was. The crew had returned to the inn, staying one last day there. The necromancer was standing at the window, staring out of it in deep concentration. Ever since they found out they would have to go to Rune Island, Adva's been awfully quiet. They've been wearing a nasty glare, anxiously biting their lower lip.
There was a dark glint in their eyes.
The others didn't ask what was on their mind.
Thinking about it, no one actually knew Adva's past. There wasn't much room lately to think about it. But... who was Adva before they became "The Laughing Necromancer" of Arcadia?
Adva was half elf, according to them at least.
There was a past that the necromancer wanted to keep hidden.
And it seemed they weren't excited at all about seeing their homeland.
Evgenia looked over at where Minerva was, the knight sitting in a chair and polishing her sword. The knight was wiping vigoursly at her blade, the shine of the metal glistened from the peeking sun.
Minerva's mind was running with anticipation. Mostly worried anticipation. The Nascentia Rebellion was an ally they desparetly needed. If they had a group within Renaisse itself then Faust really would be a cornered dog with its tail between their legs.
Plus, the Rebellion sounded like they knew quite a bit about the prophecy. If there was something they could do to analyze the prophecy and find a solution to the war, then victory will be at their doorsteps.
It was a brilliant plan.
Evgenia sighed, her face turning to see Victor reading their parents' book. He had a faint smile on his face as he calmly read. Her brother was enjoying reliving good times of their childhood through the words of their parents.
The witch looked away, staring back at the note of Rune Island.
There was the deal. If Irene helped open the journal, then Evgenia would let the woman mentor her.
At first Evgenia wasn't sure of the older witch being her teacher.
But... Evgenia realized Irene wasn't a threat. The woman, as strange and weird as she was, was a powerful mage. Although she had the markings of dark magic, Evgenia just had a hunch there was more to the mage than darkness.
Irene had a smile. A soft kind smile that felt warm. The woman was a graceful goddess that had a trail of mysteries behind her.
If those mysteries meant that Evgenia could better her magic, then maybe it was worth learning under Irene.
Afterall, Irene kept saying she was destined to be her teacher. Evgenia wasn't sure what Irene could teach her but maybe it wasn't going to be all that bad.
Bella cleared her throat, getting the attention of the others. The bard had been strumming their guitar, writing in a journal lysics of a ballad. The bard set their pencil down, their face red with a slight frown on it.
The bard's mind was distracted, it couldn't think of good lyrics. Instead, she kept thinking about how Sato agreed to teach her sword skills.
That was amazing. She would learn how to be a good fighter! And she was learning under the former captain of kingdom!
But... Sato said they were going to have to leave the village. That meant the two would probably go train in hiding, somewhere reclusive and no where near anyone.
Bella sighed, her voice shaking a bit as she said, "We can't ignore the elephant in the room."
The others didn't say anything.
They all knew what she meant.
Evgenia put the note on the desk, leaning back in her chair with a solumn look on her face.
No one wanted to say it.
The truth.
The witch gulped, crossing her arms. After a long moment of frozen silence, Evgenia finally gave in and stated the issue at hand.
"We're going to have go our separate ways." She said, quietly with a sad tone.
With the words finally said, the ignored tension in the room was lifted. But it was replaced with a sad aura.
With the truth out, the crew fell into a silence that was deafening.
As much as they wanted to stay together, it was unreasonable. This was war, there wasn't enough time.
They simply can't just keep going back and forth between kingdoms.
The most rationable thing to do was to split up and do their own work alone.
Momoko pulled her knees to her chin, resting on them with a sad pout. Her ears drooped sadingly, "I don't want us to split up."
"We know, Momoko," Evgenia said, trying her best to not appear upset, "But we have to. We don't know what Faust might do any second now. I've chosen to go learn under Irene. And you guys can't just waste time watching me train."
Victor set their parents' journal down. Defeated, he looked down, his bangs hiding away his upset expression. He tugged on the scarf, feeling the warm soft fabric on his fingers.
His sister was going away.
"I can stay with you," He said quietly, hoping his sister would let him.
Evgenia thought about it for a moment, hesitation written on her face. She shook her head, "I don't think that's a good idea, Victor. I need to do this alone. I've spent all my life doing things alone for the wrong reasons. I- I need to work on actually being independent, Victor."
Independent.
She's always been alone, associating it with negative emotions. But this time Evgenia knew she wouldn't fall into a pit of despair. This time, Evgenia had someone to guide her.
"There's also the rebellion," Minerva said as she stopped polishing her sword, "I have to go find it. It's too important to pass up."
There was also a part of Minerva that felt like maybe... maybe this rebellion could keep track of August. She just needed to know.
Bella added, "Sato also agreed to be my teacher. Which means... I'll be going with him."
Adva looked at Bella. The necromancer's face was split between sadness and worry.
"What about the Moonstone?" Momoko asked. "We can't just ignore the fact that the answer to destroying it is at Rune Island."
"It could take forever to get to Rune Island with the ways the borders are right now," Minerva said, holding her chin in thought, "We also have to consider going through battlefields in the near future. A large group won't be able to go through undetected."
Adva looked down, Bella had grabbed their hand. The bard's soft hand was so warm. Adva never wanted to let go.
But with an aching heart, Adva did. They slipped their limp fingers away.
The necromancer could feel Bella's surprise.
Adva had never pulled away before.
They sighed, "I'll go to Rune Island."
They all looked at Adva.
"It's the msot reasonable," Adva said, "I know the place better than anyone. I know a way to get past their barrier."
Bella opened her mouth but closed it, looking away from their partner. The bard held her shaking hands in her lap.
Momoko pouted, tapping their knees in a strange rhythm. Then she smiled, quickly saying, "Adva, I'll come with you!"
"Huh?"
"You'll need someone to back you up, right?" Momoko raised an arm up, pretending to flex. She giggled, fox ears twitching excitedly, "My flames will protect you!"
Adva gave her a thankful smile, though a little wary of the fact Momoko wanted to come along. "Are you sure? The elves aren't... the best to get along with, especially with outsiders."
Momoko nodded, giving them a big thumbs up, "Don't worry! I bet I can easily make friends with them!"
The crew laughed, finally feeling a little bit lighter.
Evgenia cast a look at her brother, worried about him was an understatement. She could tell Victor was at a loss of words.
Victor looked back at his sister.
His deep brown eyes were glistening with tears that he refused to let fall. He chuckled, finally understanding his sister was determined.
Turning to Minerva, Victor said, "Mind if I join you?"
Minerva, at first shocked that Victor asked her, grinned at him. "It'd be nice to have a familiar face around. Sure, why not?" She let out a small laugh.
Evgenia couldn't help the smile growing on her face.
This ending was very bittersweet.
"Hey," Evgenia said, taking her hat off her head. The witch smiled, and for the first time, the crew could feel the warmth coming from it. The witch was genuinely happy. "We'll see each other again, I'm sure of it."
"Yeah," Minerva agreed, "We all are going to fight together! When we meet again, I'm sure every single one of us has grown. Together, we'll take down Faust!"
The crew cheered. Although they felt the stinging sadness of departure in their chests, they knew it wasn't the end.
With the dark loving night watching over them, the crew reminisced over the past. Laughing about fun memories, crying over the sad loses, and growing more determined for their future.
With their last night together, the crew enjoyed the moment. They enjoyed the last time they'll be kids.
This was very bittersweet.
But it's not the end.